“If you would step outside?” Wolfe suggested.
“What for? What do you want?”
“I want to say something not for other ears.”
“There are no ears in my house that I don’t trust.”
“I congratulate you. But I haven’t tested them as you have, so if you’ll oblige me?”
“Who are you?”
“One who gets messages by telephone. Eight days ago I received one saying, ‘The man you seek is within sight of the mountain.’ Four days ago I received another saying that a person I knew had died a violent death within sight of the mountain. For speedy communication at a distance the telephone is supreme.”
Danilo was staring at him, frowning, not believing. “It’s impossible.” Then he shifted the stare and frown to me. “Who is this?”
“My associate who came with me.”
“Come in.” He sidestepped to make room. “Come in quickly.” We passed through, and he shut the door. “No one is here but my family. This way.” He took us through an arch into an inner room, raising his voice to call as he went, “All right, Meta! Go ahead and feed them!” He stopped and faced Wolfe. “We have two small children.”