Free Triple Jeopardy by Rex Stout

on the whole they had been sociable.
    As they were turning to go I said, Excuse me, one little thing.
    They looked at me. I spoke to Wengert. I thought Mr. Wolfe might mention it,
    but he didnt, and neither did you. I only bring it up to offer a constructive criticism. An FBI undercover girl, even one disguised as a Commie, shouldnt get in the habit of hurting peoples feelings just for the hell of it. It didnt do a particle of good for Carol Berk to call me a crummy little stooge before a witness. Of course she was sore because I found her in the closet, but even so.
    I think you ought to speak to her about it.
    Wengert was frowning at me. Carol Berk'What kind of a gag is this'
    Oh, come off it. I was disgusted. How thick could I get'It was so obvious Mr. Wolfe didnt even bother to comment on it. Who else could have told you about my talk with Delia Devlin'She trusted Miss Berk enough to let her hide in the closet, so of course she told her about it. Do you want to debate it with me on TV'
    No. Nor with anybody else. You talk too damn much.
    Only with the right people. Say please, and Ill promise not to tell. I just wanted to make a helpful suggestion. I may be crummy and I may be a stooge, but Im not little.
    Cramer snorted. If you ask me theres too much of you. About a hundred and eighty pounds too much. Come on, Wengert, Im late.
    They went. I supposed that was the last of that, but a couple of days later,
    Monday afternoon, while Wolfe was dictating a letter, the phone rang and a voice said it was Carol Berk.
    I said hello, showing no enthusiasm, and asked her, How are your manners'
    Rotten when required, she said cheerfully. Privately like this, from a phone booth, I can be charming. I thought it was only fair for me to apologize for calling you little.
    Okay, go ahead.
    I thought you might prefer it face to face. Im willing to take the trouble if you insist.
    Well, Ill tell you. I had an idea last week, Wednesday I think it was, that I ought to find time some day to tell you why I dont like you. We could meet and clean it up. Ill tell you why I dont like you, and youll apologize. The Churchill bar at four-thirty'Can you be seen with me in public'
    Certainly, Im supposed to be seen in public.
    Fine. Ill have a hammer and sickle in my buttonhole.
    As I hung up and swiveled I told Wolfe, That was Carol Berk. Im going to buy her a drink and possibly food. Since she was connected with the case weve just finished, of course Ill put it on the expense account.
    You will not, he asserted and resumed the dictation.
    The Cop-Killer Rex Stout There were several reasons why I had no complaints as I walked along West Thirty-fifth Street that morning, approaching the stoop of Nero Wolfes old brownstone house.
    The day was sunny and sparkling, my new shoes felt fine after the two-mile walk,
    a complicated infringement case had been polished off for a big client, and I had just deposited a check in five figures to Wolfes account in the bank.
    Five paces short of the stoop I became aware that two people, a man and a woman,
    were standing on the sidewalk across the street, staring either at the stoop or at me, or maybe both. That lifted me a notch higher, with the thought that while two rubbernecks might not put us in a class with the White House still it was nothing to sneeze at, until a second glance made me realize that I had seen them before. But where'Instead of turning up the steps I faced them, just as they stepped off the curb and started to me.
    Mr. Goodwin, the woman said in a sort of gasping whisper that barely reached me.
    She was fair-skinned and blue-eyed, young enough, kind of nice-looking and neat in a dark blue assembly-line coat. He was as dark as she was fair, not much bigger than her, with his nose slanting slightly to the left and a full wide mouth.
    My delay in recognizing him was because I had never seen him with a hat on before. He was the hat-and-coat-and-tie custodian at the barber shop I went to.
    Oh, its you,