Wolfe, no doubt aware that the finger wasn’t loaded, did not counter. He asked, “Then you’re conceding that the document Mr. Hagh was waving around is authentic? That his wife signed it?”
“No.”
“But she surely knew whether she had signed it or not. If she hadn’t, if it was a fake, why would she go flying off to Venezuela?”
“She was — wild sometimes.”
Wolfe shook his head. “You can’t have it both ways, Mr. Helmar. Let’s get it straight. You had shown Miss Eads the letter from Mr. Hagh and the photostat of the document. What did she say? Did she acknowledge she had signed it, or deny it?”
Helmar took his time replying. Finally he said, “I’ll reserve my answer to that.”
“I doubt if aging will help it,” Wolfe said dryly. “Now that you know that Miss Eads had not gone to Venezuela, and I assure you she had no intention of going, how do you explain her backing out from her appointment with you, her departure, her asking you not to try to find her?”
“I don’t have to explain it.”
“Do you decline to try?”
“I don’t see that it needs more explanation than you already have. She knew that I was coming that evening with documentary proof that Miss Duday was utterly incompetent to direct the affairs of the corporation. I told her so that morning on the phone. I think it likely that she was already aware that she would have to abandon her idea of putting Miss Duday in control, and she didn’t want to face me and admit it. Also she knew that Miss Duday would not give her a moment’s peace for the week that was left.”