Keats was on his feet. Ellery heard himself saying, “Wallace. Just what did you mean by that?”
“A gentleman, Mr. Queen, couldn’t possibly have the bad taste to pursue such a question.”
“A gentleman couldn’t have made the statement in the first place. I ask you again, Wallace: How does your job with Priam take care of your sex life?”
Wallace looked pained. He glanced up at Keats. “Lieutenant, must I answer that question?”
Keats said slowly, “You don’t have to answer anything. You brought this up, Wallace. Personally, I don’t give a damn about your sex life unless it has something to do with this case. If it has, you’d better answer it.”
“It hasn’t, Lieutenant. How could it have?”
“I wouldn’t know.”
“Answer the question,” said Ellery in a pleasant voice.
“Mr. Queen seems more interested than you, Lieutenant.”
“Answer the question,” said Ellery in a still pleasanter voice.