Wolfe’s head went left and right. “It isn’t necessary, Mrs. Chapin. You should go home and rest. I undertake to notify the police of the affair; I can understand your reluctant delicacy; after all, one’s own husband to whom one has been married three years... I’ll attend to that for you.”
“I don’t want the police.” That woman could certainly pin her eyes. “Do you think I want my husband arrested? With his standing and position... all the publicity... do you think I want that? That’s why I came to you... to tell you about it.”
“But, Mrs. Chapin.” Wolfe wiggled a finger at her. “You see, you came to the wrong place. Unfortunately for you, you came to the one man in New York, the one man in the world, who would at once understand what really happened at your home this morning. It was unavoidable, I suppose, since it was precisely that man, myself, whom you wished to delude. The devil of it is; from your standpoint, that I have a deep aversion to being deluded. Let’s just call it quits. You really do need rest and quiet, after your nervous tension and your loss of blood. Go on home.”
Of course, as had happened a few times before, I had missed the boat; I was swimming along behind trying to keep up. For a minute I thought she was going to get up and go. She started to. Then she was back again, looking at him. She said:
“I’m an educated woman, Mr. Wolfe. I’ve been in service, and I’m not ashamed of that, but I’m educated. You’re trying to talk so I won’t understand you, but I do.”
“Good. Then there is no need—”
She snapped at him suddenly and violently. “You’re a fat fool!”
Wolfe shook his head. “Fat visibly, though I prefer Gargantuan. A fool only in the broader sense, as a common characteristic of the race. It was not magnanimous of you, Mrs. Chapin, to blurt my corpulence at me, since I had spoken of your fatuity only in general terms and had refrained from demonstrating it. I’ll do that now.” He moved a finger to indicate the knife which still lay on the newspaper on the desk. “Archie, will you please clean that homely weapon.”
I didn’t know, I thought maybe he was bluffing her. I picked up the knife and stood there with it, looking from her to him. “Wash off the evidence?”
“If you please.”