“I don’t get you.”
“In the first place, the minute Mrs. Goldring knew I was trying to compromise that judgment, she’d try throwing monkey wrenches in the machinery just on general principles. In the second place, I’d been telling her how much I loved Mabel and how much it would mean to me if she walked out on me. I thought that perhaps some of that would get back to Mabel and might help the situation some. Now, if Mrs. Goldring thinks that my interest was purely financial— Well, you can see the predicament I’m in.”
“Why didn’t you tell your mother-in-law the stuff I told you to tell her? That you hoped your wife hadn’t left you, but that if she had, there were plenty of other women—”
“That may be good advice on general principles, Mrs. Cool, but it wouldn’t work in this particular instance. It sounded very logical in your office, but when I got home and faced my mother-in-law— Well, I thought this other way was better, that’s all.”
“I see. You got my advice but didn’t follow it, is that right?”
“In a way, yes.”
“All right. Let’s get back to this secretary of yours. She spilled that information to your mother-in-law. You found out about it. H ow did you find out about it?”
“Good heavens! How did I find out about it? I found out about it because my mother-in-law became hysterical; because she kept yapping at me that my entire interest in the matter was financial, and all I wanted my wife for was to get some money out of her.”
“This was before Sally Brentner’s body was discovered?”
“Yes, of course.”