“Certainly. She is clever.”
“But knowing she did this, you keep her in your employ, in your house?”
“Of course I do. If I discharged her, would that stop her?”
“No. But you say you think her guilty because you know her. That means you knew a week ago, a month ago, a year ago that she was the sort of person who would do this sort of thing. Why didn’t you get rid of her?”
“Because I—” Bess Huddleston hesitated. “What difference does that make?” she demanded.
“It makes a big difference to me, madam. You’ve hired me to investigate the source of those letters. I am doing so now. I am considering the possibility that you sent them yourself.”
Her eyes flashed at him. “I? Nonsense.”
“Then answer me.” Wolfe was imperturbable. “Since you knew what Miss Nichols was like, why didn’t you fire her?”
“Because I needed her. She’s the best assistant I’ve ever had. Her ideas are simply... take the Stryker dwarf and giant party... that was her idea... this is confidential... some of my biggest successes...”
“I see. How long has she worked for you?”