Chapter 14
The stage selected for my personal appearance was the music room. Some magazines and books had been cleared off of a large table, and at the far side of it sat District Attorney Skinner, in his shirt sleeves with his hair rumpled up. Inspector Cramer, with his coat and vest, which I had never seen him without, was on the piano bench. At one end of the table was Police Commissioner Hombert, looking tired and frustrated, and at the other end was a detective with a notebook. The chair ready for me was placed properly, so they could all see my face, with the light shining in my eyes.
I sat down and said, “This is quite a compliment, all three of you like this.”
Cramer blurted at me, “That’ll do! This is one time we want no gags! And no hedging! We want answers and that’s all!”
“Sure, I understand that,” I said in a hurt voice, “but I come in here expecting to be questioned by a sergeant or maybe a lieutenant, and when I actually find that the three most brilliant—”
“All right, Goodwin,” Skinner snapped. “You can speak a piece for us some other time. Where’s Nero Wolfe?”
“I don’t know. I’ve told at least a million—”
“I know you have. We’re told at his house that he’s not there. He left here immediately after you found the body. Where did he go?”
“Search me.”
“Where did he say he was going?”