Free Rex Stout - Nero Wolfe 25 by Before Midnight Page A

would you consider such a proposal?”
    She didn’t need guidance on that one. “Of course I wouldn’t. Why should I?”
    “So you don’t concede that the manner of Mr. Dahlmann’s death, and the circumstances, call for reconsideration of anything whatever connected with the contest?”
    She pushed her head forward, and it reminded me of something, I couldn’t remember what. She said slowly and distinctly and positively, “I don’t concede anything at all, Mr. Wolfe.”
    She pulled her head back, and I remembered. A vulture I had seen at the zoo—exactly the same movement. Aside from the movement there was no resemblance; certainly the vulture hadn’t looked anything like as smart as she did, and had no lipstick, no earrings, and no hair on its head.
    “All the same,” Wolfe persisted, “there are the other egos and other viewpoints. I accept the validity of yours, but theirs cannot be brushed aside. Each of you has made a huge investment of time and energy and ingenuity. How much time have you spent on it since the beginning?”
    “I don’t know. Hundreds and hundreds of hours.”
    “The rules didn’t forbid help. Have you had any?”
    “No. A friend of mine with a large library let me use it nights and early mornings before I went to work, but she didn’t help. I’m very expert at researching. When they gave me five to do in one week,to break the tie—that was on March twenty-eighth—I took a week off without pay.”
    Wolfe nodded. “And of course the others made similar sacrifices and endured similar strains. Look at them now. They are detained here willy-nilly, far from their base of operations, by no fault of their own—except possibly for one of them, but that’s moot. Whereas you’re at home and can proceed as usual. You have an overwhelming advantage and it is fortuitous. Can you pursue it without a qualm? Can you justify it?”
    “I don’t have to justify it. We made an agreement and I’m not breaking it. And I can’t proceed as usual—if I could I’d be at the library now, working. I’ve got another week off, but I had to spend today with the police and the conference at the office and now here with you. I’ll work tonight, but I don’t know what tomorrow will be like.”
    “Would you accept an invitation to meet with the others and discuss a new arrangement?”
    “I would not. There’s nothing to discuss.”
    “You are admirably single-minded, Miss Tescher.” Wolfe leaned back with his elbows on the chair arms and matched his finger tips. “I must tell you about Miss Frazee—she is in a situation comparable to yours. Her home is in Los Angeles, where three hundred of her friends, fellow members of a league of which she is president, have worked with her on the contest throughout. It is presumed, though not established, that she has telephoned them the verses that were distributed last evening, and that they are busy with them. A situation comparable to yours, though by no means identical. Have you any comment?”
    She was staring at him, speechless.
    “Because,” Wolfe went on, “while there may be noinfraction of the rules or the agreement, it is surely an unfair advantage—even against you, since you have already lost a day and there’s no telling how much you’ll be harassed the rest of the week; but Miss Frazee’s friends can proceed unhampered. Don’t you think that’s worth discussing?”
    From the look on Susan’s face she would have liked to discuss it with Miss Frazee herself, with fingernails and teeth at ten inches. Before she found any words Knudsen arose, crooked his finger at the other two men and at Susan, and headed for the door. They all got up and followed. Wolfe sat and gazed at their receding backs. Not knowing whether they were adjourning or only taking a recess, I sat pat until I saw that Schultz, out last, was shutting the door to the hall, then I thought I’d better investigate, put down my notebook, went to the door and opened it, and