“Thin, medium, or heavy build?”
“Quite athletic. He’s broad-shouldered and carries himself erect, has what could be called a decidedly military carriage. He was wearing a light grey suit and a grey hat when I saw him this morning.”
“What does he do for a living?” Spade asked as he laid down his pencil.
“I don’t know,” she said. “I haven’t the slightest idea.”
“What time is he coming to see you?”
“After eight o’clock.”
“All right, Miss Wonderly, we’ll have a man there. It’ll help if—”
“ Mr. Spade, could either you or Mr. Archer?” She made an appealing gesture with both hands. “Could either of you look after it personally? I don’t mean that the man you’d send wouldn’t be capable, but—oh!—I’m so afraid of what might happen to Corinne. I’m afraid of him. Could you? I’d be—I’d expect to be charged more, of course.” She opened her handbag with nervous fingers and put two hundred-dollar bills on Spade’s desk. “Would that be enough?”
“Yeh,” Archer said, “and I’ll look after it myself.”
Miss Wonderly stood up, impulsively holding a hand out to him.
“Thank you! Thank you!” she exclaimed, and then gave Spade her hand, repeating: “Thank you!”
“Not at all,” Spade said over it. “Glad to. It’ll help some if you either meet Thursby downstairs or let yourself be seen in the lobby with him at some time.”
“I will,” she promised, and thanked the partners again.