Rex Stout by The Hand in the Glove Page A

read it, and then crumpled it and put it back again.”
    Colonel Brissenden growled, “You didn’t say that.”
    “I think I told the trooper that.”
    “No.”
    “I think I did. Even if I didn’t, what’s the difference? That’s what happened. That’s how I am sure it was the same paper.”
    Sherwood asked, “You’d swear to that?”
    “Of course I would.”
    “The paper on the grass was the promissory note to George Leo Ranth, signed by Mrs. Storrs?”
    “It was.”
    “All right, it’s your word for it. No one saw you.” Sherwood opened a manila folder on the table before himand shuffled through a pile of papers. Around the middle of the pile he looked one over, then leaned back in his chair. “You seem to be quite intelligent, Miss Bonner. I don’t mind saying that last night we felt indebted to you. You had that piece of paper taken from Ranth, and you turned it over to Sergeant Quill. You called Quill’s attention to the way the wire was fastened to the tree, and that was clever. Very clever. We appreciate that. I had a little talk with you and then I started in on the others because you hadn’t arrived until six o’clock and so probably were not here when the murder was committed. Then I had a few more questions for you, and you took a most indefensible position. That’s why I’m beginning with you this morning. You stated that you came here yesterday at Mr. Storrs’ request, to see him on business, and refused to tell what the business was. You admitted it might possibly be connected with the murder. Your idea that it was a privileged communication is nonsense; you’re not a lawyer.”
    Dol said wearily, “I know it. Quit arguing, I’ll tell you.”
    Colonel Brissenden grunted. Sherwood said, “Oh. You’ve changed your mind.”
    “Yes. I’ve thought it over. I’ll explain.… I haven’t any idea who killed Storrs. I found that paper there, that promissory note, and then I made Ranth give it up when he tried to get away with it, but I knew that didn’t prove he had killed Storrs. I have no use for Ranth, but because I had done all that, I thought it might be doing him an injustice if I told you what Storrs asked me to come out here for.”
    Brissenden growled, “We’ll handle the justice.” Sherwood asked, “Well?”
    “Well … as you know, I am a detective. I run a licensed detective agency. Storrs came to my office yesterday at one o’clock and said that Ranth was getting too much money from his wife and he wanted to stop it. He engaged me to look up Ranth’s record and discredit him if possible. Also to go after him myself and see what could be done. He put it that he wanted to get rid of Ranth, get him away from Mrs. Storrs, by any feasible means short of murder. He said that if it came to murder he would do it himself. Ofcourse that was only a man talking.” Dol glanced from the attorney to the colonel and back again. “And you understand that his objection to Ranth was only on financial and—well, call it spiritual—grounds. Ranth is the founder and promoter of a thing called the League of the Occidental Sakti, and he gets money—”
    Sherwood nodded impatiently and put up a hand. “I know all that. I’ve heard of Ranth before. We’ve got some of his record and we’re getting the rest.” He squinted at her. “So Storrs wanted to hire you to get rid of Ranth?”
    “He did hire me.”
    “And that’s what you came out here for yesterday? What were you going to do?”
    “I don’t know. Nothing definite.” Dol lifted her shoulders and dropped them. “I was going to look at him.”
    “You had seen him before, hadn’t you?”
    “Certainly, several times.”
    “But you wanted to look at him.” Sherwood slowly rubbed his plump cheek. “Of course you realize, Miss Bonner, it never hurts any kind of a statement, no matter who makes it, to be backed up by corroboration. You realize that. For instance, since Storrs hired you, I suppose he paid you a retainer?