“Carmody was right about one thing,” observed Lambert as he and Daisy headed for the elevators.”
“What’s that?”
“When he called Miss Genevieve ‘Madame Guillotine.’ I bet she could sever heads with that look.”
“You haven’t met my husband yet,” said Daisy. Alec’s glance of icy displeasure was capable of freezing erring subordinates to the marrow or making criminals feel they might be better off at the North Pole. It even, occasionally, gave his wife pause.
“Gee whiz!” Lambert quailed. “Mr. Fletcher’s not going to be too pleased with me.”
“Don’t worry, he won’t blame you. If he’d known in advance what Mr. Hoover planned, he’d have told him not to bother to give me a watchdog. Even Alec’s never been able to keep me from getting mixed up in things.” She pressed the elevator bell push. “I’m going up to my room now, till lunchtime. If you don’t want to lurk in the corridor, you could ask Patrolman Hicks to notify you if I try to sneak out.”
“I’ll stay. Keeping you out of trouble is one thing, but after what Miss Genevieve said … I’d never be able to face Mr. Fletcher if Bender’s thugs came looking for you and I wasn’t there.”
“Don’t remind me. Though surely the lawyer can hardly have reached police headquarters yet, let alone learnt about me from Bender and passed word to someone else.”
“I’ll stay,” Lambert repeated as the lift creaked to a halt in front of them.
“Right-oh, it’s up to you. Hello, Kevin. Seventh, please.”
“O.K., ma’am. Going up.” The boy seemed uncharacteristically subdued.
“Is anything wrong?” Daisy asked as the lift started off again.
“I din’t wanna help the cops none,” said Kevin, “not after how they treated Bridey. But I figured the D.A.’d put a crimp in Gilligan’s style if he got to bullying you, so I tol’ the dick where you was. And then after, I tol’ that harness bull where to find the ’tecs ’cause I figured you and Miss Genevieve’d wanna know them two’d gotten theirselves nabbed.”
“How right you were,” Daisy said cordially. “By the way, I don’t suppose you’ve taken Mr. Pitt up or down today, have you?”
“Nah, ain’t seen him since yesterday, and it’s no good asking the guys on the night shift ‘cause they wouldn’t neither of ’em notice if a hefalunt got inna their elevators.”
“Well, if he comes in, I’d appreciate it if you’d try to let me know.”
“O.K., ma’am. Here we are, seventh floor.”
“Thanks, Kevin. And especial thanks for sending Mr.Rosenblatt and the other policeman to the Cabots’ suite.” Daisy felt in her purse for a tip.
Kevin put his freckled, grubby hand over hers. “None o’ that,” he said gruffly. “I’da done the same for any pal.” He brightened. “But I don’t care if your minder wants ta tip me.”
Lambert handed over a half-dollar with a sigh.
Daisy had scarcely shut the door of her room on him when the telephone bell rang.
“Mrs. Fletcher?” said the hotel operator. “There’s a Mr. Thorwald on the line. He’s been trying to get ahold of you all morning.”
“Put him through, please,” said Daisy, instantly sure that he had reread her article and hated it.
The usual clicks and buzzes were succeeded by Thorwald’s agitated voice. “Mrs. Fletcher, they think I did it!”
“I beg your pardon?” Daisy’s mind was still on her article.
“The police!” Thorwald took an audible deep and calming breath. “That is, the Deputy District Attorney requests my attendance at the Criminal Courts Building at three o’clock this afternoon, and Detective Sergeant Gilligan has dispatched a plainclothesman to escort me to police headquarters immediately.”
“Immediately?”
“I have contrived to delay the latter by means of a variety of stratagems, desiring to consult with you before placing myself irrevocably in their hands. My dear Mrs. Fletcher, your husband is a senior detective officer, and you have given me to understand that you are not unfamiliar with police methods, in England if not in this country. Advise me!”
“Gosh,” said Daisy, thinking furiously. “Right-oh, I’ll do my best. First, when did you get the summons from Mr. Rosenblatt?”
“At approximately ten o’clock this morning. I telephoned you immediately, but the hotel operator was unable to discover your whereabouts.”
