“Another thing,” I opened up a new argumentative line, “I’m not sure I really need whatever you can tell me. If I have to get along without it, I think I can.”

“It’ll be nice if you can, but don’t forget I’m the last person who saw him alive, except whoever killed him.”

“Wrong,” I said. “His wife saw him come out, walk away, and fall.”

“His wife!”

“She was sitting in a coupé down the street.”

“How did she know he was here?”

“She says Thaler phoned her that her husband had come here with the check.”

“You’re trying to kid me,” the girl said. “Max couldn’t have known it.”