"As it may be. And who is to be our client, you or the Seaboard Products Corporation?"

"Why,.. that hadn't occurred to me. The corporation, I should think. That would be best."

"Good." Wolfe looked at me. "If you please, Archie." He leaned back in his chair, twined his fingers at the peak of his middle mound, and closed his eyes.

I whirled on my swivel, with my notebook. "First the money, Mr. Perry. How much?"

"Thirty thousand dollars. In hundred-dollar bills."

"Egad. Payroll?"

"No." He hesitated. "Well, yes, call it payroll."

"It would be better if we knew about it."

"Is it necessary?"

"Not necessary. Just better. The more we know the less we have to find out."

"Well… since it is understood this is strictly confidential… you know of course that in connection with our business we need certain privileges in certain foreign countries. In our dealings with the representatives of those countries we sometimes need to employ cash sums."

"Okay. This Mr. Muir you mentioned, he's the paymaster?"

"Mr. Ramsey Muir is the senior vice-president of the corporation. He usually handles such. contacts. On this occasion, last Friday, he had a luncheon appointment with a gentleman from Washington. The gentleman missed his train and telephoned that he would come on a later one, arriving at our office at five-thirty. He did so. When the moment arrived for Mr. Muir to open the drawer of his desk, the money was gone. He was of course greaty embarrassed."

"Yeah. When had he put it there?"

An interruption came from Wolfe. He moved to get upright in his chair, then to arise from it. He looked down at Perry. "You will excuse me, sir. It is the hour for my prescribed exercise and, following that, attention to my plants. If it would amuse you, when you have finished with Mr. Goodwin, to come to the roof and look at them, I would be pleased to have you." He moved halfway to the door, and turned. "It would be advisable, I think, for