The sylph merely nodded. Wolfe said:

“And then? Exactly. Exact words.”

“Well, she handed me the box and I took it and opened it, and I said—”

“Had it been opened before?”

“I don’t know. It didn’t have any wrapping or ribbon or anything on it. I opened it and I said, ‘Gee, it’s two pounds and never been touched. Where’d you get it, Molly?’ She said, ‘I told you, I swiped it. Is it any good?’ She asked Helen to have some—”

“Her words.”

Miss Mitchell frowned. “I don’t know. Just ‘Have some, Helen,’ or ‘Join the party, Helen’ — something like that. Anyway, Helen didn’t take any—”

“What did she say?”

“I don’t know. What did you say, Helen?”

Miss Frost spoke without swallowing. “I don’t remember. I just had had cocktails, and I didn’t want any.”