“Was there an opportunity for one of them to pick it up without your noticing?”
“There might have been. I don’t know what you’re trying to establish, Mr. Goodwin, but I will not be led by you to a commitment, even here privately. Probably during the meeting here on Friday I had occasion to leave this chair to get something from my files. I won’t say that gave someone an opportunity to remove something from my desk, but I can’t prohibit you from saying so.” He got to his feet. “I’m sorry I can’t be more helpful.”
“So am I,” I said emphatically.
I arose and turned to go, but halfway to the door his voice came. “Mr. Goodwin.”
I turned. He had left his chair and was standing at the end of the desk, stiff and straight. “I’m a lawyer,” he said in a different tone, “but I am also a man. Speaking as a man, I ask you to consider my position. My friend and client has been murdered, and the police are apparently convinced that they have the murderer in custody. Nero Wolfe, acting for Mrs. Karnow, wants to prove them wrong. His only hope of success is to fasten the guilt elsewhere. Isn’t that the situation?”
“Roughly, yes.”
“And you ask me to cooperate. You mentioned a conference in this office last Friday. Besides myself, there were five people here — you know who they were. None of them was, or is, my client. They were all dismayed by the return of Sidney Karnow alive. They were all in dread of personal financial calamity. They all asked me, one way or another, to intercede for them. I have of course given this information to the police, and I see no impropriety in my giving it also to Nero Wolfe. Beyond that I have absolutely no information or evidence that could possibly help him. I tell you frankly, if Paul Aubry is guilty I hope he is convicted and punished; but if one of the others is guilty I hope he — or she — is punished, and if I knew anything operant to that end I certainly would not withhold it.”
He lifted a hand and dropped it. “All I’m trying to say — as a lawyer I’m not supposed to be vindictive, but as a man perhaps I am a little. Whoever killed Sidney Karnow should be punished.” He turned and went back to his chair.
“A damn fine sentiment,” I agreed, and left him.
On the way to the next customer I found a booth and phoned Wolfe a report. All I got in return was a series of grunts.