“I know what brought him. Your daughter phoned him to come.”
Sperling jerked to the bed. “Did you do that, Gwenn?”
There was no reply from Gwenn. Madeline furnished it. “Yes, Dad, she did. She decided to drop him and wanted to tell him first.”
“I hope,” Wolfe said, “that your wife’s suggestion needs no comment, for a dozen reasons. He took a cab here from the station—”
“My wife’s suggestions seldom need comment. There is no way of keeping the police out of it? I know a doctor—”
“None. Dismiss it.”
“You’re an expert. Will they regard it as murder?”
“An expert requires facts to be expert about. I haven’t got enough. If you want a guess, I think they will.”
“Shouldn’t I have a lawyer here?”
“That will have to come later. You’ll probably need one or more.” Wolfe wiggled a finger. “It can’t be delayed longer, sir. Mr. Goodwin and I are under an obligation, both as citizens and as men holding licenses as private detectives.”