I was as nervous as a congressman on election day. I had been made acquainted with the high spots on Wolfe’s program. It was all well and good for him to get up these tricky charades as far as he himself was concerned, because he didn’t have any nerves, and he was too conceited to suffer any painful apprehension of failure, but I was made of different stuff and I didn’t like the feeling it gave me. True, he had stated just before we went in to lunch that we had a hazardous and disagreeable task before us, but he didn’t seriously mean it; he was merely calling my attention to the fact that he was preparing to put over a whizz.
I admitted the visitors, helped get hats and topcoats disposed of in the hall, and led them to the office. Wolfe, seated behind his desk, nodded around at them. I had already arranged chairs, and now allotted them: Helen the closest to Wolfe, with Cramer at her left and Llewellyn next to Cramer; Uncle Dudley not far from me, so I could reach him and gag him if necessary, and Mrs. Frost the other side of Dudley, in the big leather chair which was usually beside the big globe. None of them looked very festive. Lew looked as if he had the pop-eye and his face had a gray tinge, I suppose from the nitrobenzene he had got too close to. Mrs. Frost wasn’t doing any sagging, but looked pale in black clothes. Helen, in a dark brown suit with a hat to match, twisted her fingers together as soon as she sat down and put her eyes on Wolfe, and stayed that way. Dudley looked at everybody and squirmed. Wolfe had murmured to the inspector:
“Your man, Mr. Cramer. If he would wait in the kitchen?”
Cramer grunted. “He’s all right. He won’t bite anybody.”
Wolfe shook his head. “We won’t need him. The kitchen would be better for him.”
Cramer looked as if he’d like to argue, but called it off with a shrug. He turned: “Go on out to the kitchen, Stebbins. I’ll yell if I want you.”
Purley, with a sour glance at me, turned and went. Wolfe waited until the door had closed behind him before he spoke, looking around at them:
“And here we are. Though I am aware that you came at Mr. Cramer’s invitation, nevertheless I thank you for coming. It was desirable to have you all here, though nothing will be expected of you—”
Dudley Frost blurted, “We came because we had to! You know that! What else could we do, with the attitude the police are taking?”
“Mr. Frost. Please—”