Nero Wolfe 16 - Even in the Best Families by Rex Stout Read Free Book Online Page B

previously. Even with no leaves on the trees it was a lot darker there, but unless my sense of direction was completely cockeyed we were sticking to the trail I had been over twice before.
    “We’re heading straight for the house, aren’t we?” I asked.
    For reply I got only a grunt.
    For the first two hundred yards or so after entering the woods it was a steady climb, not steep, and then a leveling off for another couple hundred of yards to the start of the easy long descent to the edge of the Birchvale manicured grounds. It was at about the middle of the level stretch that Hebe suddenlywent crazy. She dashed abruptly to one side, off the trail, jerking Leeds so that he had to dance to keep his feet, then whirled and came back into him, with a high thin quavering noise not at all like what she had said before.
    Leeds spoke to her sharply, but I don’t know what he said. By then my eyes had got pretty well accommodated to the circumstances. However, I am not saying that there in the dark among the trees, at a distance of twenty feet, I recognized the blob on the ground. I do assert that at the instant I pressed the button of the flashlight, before the light came, I knew already that it was the body of Mrs. Barry Rackham.
    This time I got no reprimand. Leeds was with me as I stepped off the trail and covered the twenty feet. She was lying on her side, as Nobby had been, but her neck was twisted so that her face was nearly upturned to the sky, and I thought for a second it was a broken neck until I saw the blood on the front of her white sweater. I stooped and got my fingers on her wrist. Leeds picked up a dead leaf, laid it on her mouth and nostrils, and asked me to kneel to help him keep the breeze away.
    When we had gazed at the motionless leaf for twenty seconds he said, “She’s dead.”
    “Yeah.” I stood up. “Even if she weren’t, she would be by the time we got her to the house. I’ll go—”
    “She is dead, isn’t she?”
    “Certainly. I’ll—”
    “By God.” He got erect, coming up straight in one movement. “Nobby and now her. You stay here—” He took a quick step, but I caught his arm. He jerked loose, violently.
    I said fast, “Take it easy.” I got his arm again, and he was trembling. “You bust in there and there’s no telling what you’ll do. Stay here and I’ll go—”
    He pulled free and started off.
    “Wait!” I commanded, and he halted. “But first get a doctor and call the police. Do that first. I’m going to your place. We left that knife in the dog, and someone might want it. Can’t you put Hebe on guard here?”
    He spoke, not to me but to Hebe. She came to him, a darting shadow, close to him. He leaned over to touch the shoulder of the body of Mrs. Barry Rackham and said, “Watch it, Hebe.” The dog moved alongside the body, and Leeds, with nothing to say to me, went. He didn’t leap or run, but he sure was gone. I called after him, “Phone the police before you kill anybody!” stepped to the trail, and headed for Hillside Kennels.
    With the flashlight I had no trouble finding my way. This time, as I approached, the livestock barked plenty, and, hoping the kennel doors were all closed tight, I had my gun out as I passed the runs and the buildings. Nothing attacked me but noise, and that stopped when I had entered the house and closed the door. Apparently if an enemy once got inside it was then up to the master.
    Nobby was still there on the bench, and the knife was still in him. With only a glance at him in passing, I made for the little living room, where I had previously seen a phone on a table, turned on a light, went to the phone, and got the operator and gave her a number. As I waited a look at my wristwatch showed me five minutes past midnight. I hoped Wolfe hadn’t forgotten to plug in the line to his room when hewent up to bed. He hadn’t. After the ring signal had come five times I had his voice.
    “Nero Wolfe speaking.”
    “Archie. Sorry to wake