“You don’t say.” I addressed Miss Karn: “This is unexpected and unfortunate. I guess you’ll have to wait a few minutes.” I moved toward the door to the front room. “In here it won’t be as cool as up at your place—”
She was moving too, and so swiftly that I couldn’t head her off. I suppose I should have been on my guard, but how could I have known she would make a beeline for the office door, spotting it by instinct, and bust on through? I bounced after her, but by the time I reached the threshold she was already inside and in the middle of them. I put on the brakes and let it come.
They were all there, the whole gang except the widow with the veil. The Hawthorne girls were merely regarding the intruder with surprise, but there was a little squeal from Sara Dunn and a pair of startled exclamations from Osric Stauffer and Glenn Prescott. The intruder, paying no attention to any of them, advanced clear to the desk, faced Wolfe, and said calmly:
“You’re Nero Wolfe? I’m Naomi Karn. I’m told you want to discuss something with me.”
June muttered, “Good Lord.”
May craned her neck for a better look.
April laughed out loud and said energetically, “Curtain. Absolutely curtain.”
Wolfe had his lips pursed. Before he got them open for words, Miss Karn whirled to Glenn Prescott:
“Is it true that you’re in a plot to have that will declared a forgery? Answer me!”
The lawyer gaped at her. “What’s that?” he sputtered. “A plot to — a forgery — what the devil—”