“You may not,” Pitcairn said, controlling himself. “If the officers of the law are satisfied, it is no concern of mine that you are not.” He put his hand in his side coat pocket. “I’ve been patient and I’m not going to put up with any more of this. You know where your car is.”
His hand left the pocket, and damned if there wasn’t a gun in it. It was a Colt.38, old but in good condition.
“Let me see your license,” I said sternly.
“Pfui.” Wolfe lifted his shoulders a millimeter and let them down. “Very well, sir, then I’ll have to manage.” He put his hand into his own side pocket, and I thought my God, he’s going to shoot it out with him, but when the hand reappeared all it held was a key. “This,” he said, “is the key to Mr. Krasicki’s cottage, which he gave me so I could enter to collect his belongings — whatever is left of them after the illegal visitations of the police. Mr. Goodwin and I are going there, unaccompanied. When we return to our car we shall await you or your agent to inspect our baggage. Have you any comment?”
“I—” Pitcairn hesitated, frowning, then he said, “No.”
“Good.” Wolfe turned and went to a table for his coat, hat, and cane. “Come, Archie.” He marched.
As we reached the door Sybil’s voice came at our backs. “If you find the box of morphine don’t tell anybody.”
Outdoors I held Wolfe’s coat for him and got mine on. The whole day had been dark, but now it was getting darker, though a cold wind was herding the clouds down to the horizon and on over. When we reached the rear of the house I swung left for a detour to the car to get a flashlight, and caught up with Wolfe on the path. No ducking was necessary now, as the twigs had dried. We passed the tennis court and entered the grove of evergreens, where it was already night.
I glanced at my wrist. “Four o’clock,” I announced cheerily to Wolfe, who was ahead. “If we were home, and Theodore was still there, or Andy had come, you would be just going up to the plant rooms to poke around.”
He didn’t even tell me to shut up. He was way beyond that.