Rex Stout

The Red Box

Chapter One

Wolfe looked at our visitor with his eyes wide open-a sign, with him, either of indifference or of irritation. In this case it was obvious that he was irritated.

“I repeat, Mr. Frost, it is useless,” he declared. “I never leave my home on business. No man's pertinacity can coerce me. I told you that five days ago.

Good day, sir.”

Llewellyn Frost blinked, but made no move to acknowledge the dismissal. On the contrary, he settled back in his chair.

He nodded patiently. “I know, I humored you last Wednesday, Mr. Wolfe, because there was another possibility that seemed worth trying. But it was no good. Now there's no other way. You'll have to go up there. You can forget your build up as an eccentric genius for once-anyhow, an exception will do it good. The flaw that heightens the perfection. The stutter that accents the eloquence. Good

Lord, it's only twenty blocks, Fifty-second between Fifth and Madison. A taxi will take us there in eight minutes.”

“Indeed.” Wolfe stirred in his chair; he was boiling. “How old are you, Mr. Frost?”

“Me? Twenty-nine.”

“Hardly young enough to justify your childish effrontery. So. You humored me!

You speak of my build-up! And you undertake to stampede me into a frantic dash through the maelstrom of the city's traffic-in a taxicab! Sir, I would not enter a taxicab for a chance to solve the Sphinx's deepest riddle with all the Nile's cargo as my reward!” He sank his voice to an outraged murmur. “Good God. A taxicab.”