Curtains for Three 9

operations was the big office on the ground faturally I thought my job the most interesting, confidential assistant to a famous private de is constantly getting an earful of all kinds of and problems--everything from a missing to a new blackmail gimmick. Very few clients bored me. But only one kind of case gave me le in the spine: murder. And if this pair of were talking straight, this was it.

II

filled two notebooks when they left, more than hours later.

they had thought it through before they phoned appointment with Wolfe, they wouldn't, have All they wanted, as Wolfe pointed out, was the They wanted him, first, to investigate a four i-old murder without letting on there had been second, to prove that neither of them had killed Mion, which could be done only by finding out had; and third, in case he concluded that one of had done it, to file it away and forget it. Not that put it that way, since their story was that they both absolutely innocent, but that was what it itedto.

fe Wolfe made it good and plain. "If I take the job," he them, "and find evidence to convict someone of no matter who, the use I make of it will be ly in my discretion. I am neither an Astraea nor a but I like my door open. But if you want to drop now, here's your check, and Mr. Goodwin's note will be destroyed. We can forget you have been and shall."

10 Rex Stout

That was one of the moments when they were within an ace of getting up and going, especially Fred Weppler, but they didn't. They looked at each other, and it was all in their eyes. By that time I had about decided I liked them both pretty well and was even beginning to admire them, they were so damn determined to get loose from the trap they were in.