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SYNOPSIS J David Mallory In search of newspaper r work in New York is forced to accept a job lob as switch board board operator In a swank apartment house managed by officious Timothy ln Higgins There David meets mccU Miss Agatha Paget a crippled old lady and her charming niece Allegra One day talking with Higgins In the lobby David Is alarmed by a piercing scream David finds the scream came from the Ferriter apartment not far from the The include Lyon and Everett and their sister lone Tone Everett a genealogist Is la helping Agatha Paget Pagel write a book about abort her blue blooded blue blooded an Inside the apartment they find finda a black black bearded bearded man man dead No weapon can be found The police arrive gins who Mho actively dislikes David In Informs forms him that he Is fired David Is called to the Paget apartment Agatha Paget offers him a Job helping write her family history which history which will unearth a few family skeletons He lie accepts the offer Meanwhile police suspect Lyon Ferriter of the murder Jerry Cochran of the Press offers David a job helping solve the murder David accepts lie He Is to keep on working for Miss Paget Later David meets Grosvenor Paget Allegra's Allegra brother Then that night David sees Grosvenor prowl through the Ferriter apartment David confronts Grosvenor with the story He is told to mind his own business Then David goes to Hig r gins' gins basement flat fiat to retrieve his lug gage In the darkness he brushes against an unknown person and in attempting to capture him falls over his own suitcase Davids David's landlady tells him that a woman had called upon him The mysterious lady would leave no message or name I CHAPTER VIII ContInued Vin Continued 10 10 When I looked up from my work a again Allegra stood In the doorway Hello Good morning I scrambled to tomy tomy I my feet and speech left me again I II I saw the quick rise and fall of her breast beneath the tweed cloak There was something In the silence that disturbed both of us She broke it Is there soot on my nose she asked a little wildly No I said and cleared my throat I was just Just Just-I I was just real real- realizing realizing realizing izing what a beautiful person your aunt must have been She She came In and sat down with witha a ghost of Miss Agathas Agatha's chuckle Thanks she told me That Is If I follow you I can believe that your sister law sister law in-law is very very love love- lovely lovely ly 1 too Is she also a good liar Her mouth was merry but her eyes were grave I managed to meet them What You heard the first time You Youcan Youcan Youcan can drop the pose of deafness deafness or or oris is it dumbness Her voice sank Little gloved hands were locked In her lap Grove Allegra said has told me everything I kept my face I see Grove she said is In love with lone Ferriter That opened up new avenues of surmise I did not turn toward them I asked S And you dont don't like it T It or her She's older That I said necessarily fatal So was as Mrs Browning and Mrs Disraeli and Mrs Mary of Scotland and Mrs Oedipus and and and- Skip the Phi Bete erudition she broke in but her eyes were less tragic Grove is an infant and al al- always always ways will be Hes He's all the family Ive I've got I dont don't want him hurt but buthe buthe buthe he will be Grove wont won't listen to me He doesn't care what I think any more Its Just possible isn't it that lone loves him Does your aunt know She smiled and shook her head She knows I think But Grove Is supposed to be adult and Agathas Agatha's religion is minding her own business I cant can't speak to her about it I promised Grove I wouldn't but he said last night I could explain to you why he was In lones lone's flat flat fiat And sooner or later youre you're go go- going going ing to The girl looked at me and smiled I Meaning she interpreted that I talk too much Groves Grove's had a a. a Ferriter latchkey for a month Hes lies been meeting lone Tone there r She stopped and looked at nt the win wIn- window wIndow winS dow and the smile had left her face I waited I wish she said slowly that I could like her Up to now weve we've always liked the same things Grove and I. I Im I'm not jealous I know what they're doing They're keeping this thing under cover until after Groves Grove's birthday next week You see if U Grove marries without Agathas Agatha's and my cle Stanleys Stanley's consent they could hold old ld up his inheritance That's In my fathers father's will I told her You haven't yet ex explained explained why he was in in- in She said impatiently Oh he hc had h the thc idea that th maybe m he could find some clue the police had Ignored Ignored- something that would clear the Fer- Fer Feri i niters That's the sort of a mind he heh has h I said One doesn't love a person for his brains All the aphorisms are are edifying she told me with a flash O sh of her aunts aunt's spirit but they dont don't solve anything You could have saved yourself alot a alot alot lot of wear and tear I answered by telling me mc In the first place e what you wanted solved Allegra looked at nt me hard an anthen and d then smiled I t i 1 All right Admiral Crichton Find Fin iL L out who killed that man v Yes maam ma'am I told her ber its as asgood asgood a s good as done She held out her hand me Then she turned Neither of us knew how bow long Miss Mis s I I I I I Agatha had bad been on the threshold j Nothing In her face gave us a clue She rolled into the thc room and spoke crisply Its bad enough to be a refuge for all nil my family's smitten grief without posing as aunt to the New NewYork NewYork NewYork York City police Captain Shannon has been telephoning Lyon Ferri Ferriter ter escaped from the Babylon last night How long I asked suddenly did he stay after I left There was a glitter In her eyes she in- in informed In Informed About a quarter hour formed me and md Id I'd be quite con con- content content tent David if you'd confine contine your criminal Investigations for the pres pres- present present ent to my own 00 ancestry Yes Miss Paget I said with meekness that made her chuckle I know now she had heard at least the conclusion of my talk t with her niece She turned to Allegra Lunch in a hour half h my dear she said and the girl left the room t i I 1 r r rIll l Ill Sj t 1 1 s 1 r He De seemed pleased I replied to to see me and my bag spread nil all over the floor The old lady started to follow and paused David said she I hope your lead head is stronger than Ive I've any rea rea- reason reason reason son to think it Is I hope its it's stronger than I think It is I answered She lingered an instant and then nodded Perhaps she comforted its better than either cither of us thinks and trundled herself away The Thc door opened Allegra looked in A message from Miss Paget she said with mock gravity There is an extra place at the table this noon that she wishes you would oc oc- I cupy Mr Everett Ferriter is in in- indisposed indisposed I disposed again CHAPTER IX Linens Linen's frosty glow the cool glit gilt glitter ter of silver and china were like friends long absent They lifted my morale I caught Allegra's glance as Lyon helped her into the chair beside his and grinned I sat be be- between between between tween lone and Miss Agatha with Ferriter opposite on her right hand and I selected the bouillon spoon boldly because I thought they might wonder if I could I found my m elf elt disliking the scent lone wore and her as well for no clear reason other than that I lob lob- ob ob- objected objected to sultry brunettes My neighbor said In her husky voice I haven't thanked you Mr Mal Mal- Mallory Mallory lory for what you did that that awful awful night I wondered If U it were only the shock of that evening that harried her now Thank me I asked for treat treat- treating treating ing you rough Exactly I needed it I dont don't usually usually fall fall apart like that Lyon spoke with the odd devo devo- devotion devotion tion in his eyes he be reserved for his sister I She really doesn't She wintered with me in Alaska but that after all all Isn't preparation for finding finding- He checked himself and turned to Miss Agatha with an apologetic movement of his hands I I beg pardon There is no ex cx- excuse cuse for dragging dragging- Nonsense the old lady cut In My dear man closets are the worst possible places for skeletons Its It's far more wholesome to leave them out In the air If you can stand it We have bave to lo he said a little grimly Until the police get the idea that people who weren't there could not have done it itI It I had wished a hour half earlier that I might be included among Miss Paget's ts t's guests Now I was py I knew too much and suspected too much more I was tense and saw portents in actions outwardly Innocent For a moment I had thought lones lone's seizure elzure had bad concealed ton terror Now the sanity of the well well- ordered lunch the calm beauty of the room the decorous speech of its occupants jeered at my suspicions The talk veered away to less in In- intense Intense tense matters The meal was clos ing when Miss Agatha gatha said said sa d sudden sudden- suddenly ly Allegra Grove called up while you were dressing dres ing He wont won't be home ome till late lato to You will have bave to find another escort for the opera to to- tonight night The girl nodded without expression and for an Instant her eyes strayed to lone who asked the old lady You dont don't go Miss Paget Pagen The composure In her rich voice once more mocked my suspicion Miss Agatha shook her head My dear said she I was reared in the Paget tradition I went to the opera as regularly as I went to church Being a cripple I had no conflicting engagements I went I still have my fathers father's scats seats Allegra and Grove pretend to like it I grew tired long ago of hearing nonsense sung In one language by folks who speak another to people who dont don't understand either As a rule Lyon said operas could stand a deal of editing Extermination Miss Agatha told him is the better word I laughed and so did he and catching catch catch- catching catchIng ing my eye he be asked By the way were you coming out of the cellar last night when I I I left Once more my spine prickled prickled-I I thought that a hidden bidden something lurked beneath that easy question Out of the murk a new theory sud sud- suddenly suddenly suddenly denly jumped at me Perhaps the prostrated Everett after all had been my basement antagonist I gath gath- gathered gathered ered cred my wits and tried to drive Into the open whatever fear hid be be- behind behind behind hind Lyons Lyon's query Yes He smiled After I passed I thought it had been you At the moment I Imag imag- Imagined imagIned ined fined that it was just another de do detective detective following me around I haven't dared look under the table this noon Miss Paget for fear of finding one one I can vouch for this company Miss Agatha said dryly unless David Da Da- David vid is one In disguise I wondered what she meant but Allegra asked mockingly Just a social call on Casanova Out of an eye corner I saw that lone held beld her fork motionless above her ber salad No I said I went to get my suitcase I didn't see Higgins till later Later lone repeated I looked at her ber but her make up might have bave been a mask You see I told her ber the help help- helpful helpful ful Higgins had bad left the suitcase in inthe inthe inthe i the basement halL ball I fell over it I which pleased him I think The swine said Lyon and his I calm disappointed me how bow I you hurt yourself eh He nodded at t my trampled left hand land I shook my head weighing the merits of reticence and complete exposure I chose the former and merely said No Someone else gave me that that I hope said Miss Agatha and bit that invisible thread that you skinned it on Timothy's jaw He seemed pleased I replied when he came out and turned on the lights to see me and my bag spread all over the floor With the others I followed Miss Agathas Agatha's chair into the living room and looked at my watch Its time I told the old lady that I stopped being a guest and became an employee lone bright and exotic as a tropic tropicbird tropicbird tropicbird bird smiled at me as I backed to to- toward toward ward the hall door Lyons Lyon's right hand went through the movements of the sword salute I Oh I say he checked me as asI asI asI I turned to leave why not stop In when you leave this afternoon Id I'd really like to have you see my col col- collection collection lection of blades If you'd be inter inter- ested Thanks I said finding no way to refuse without seeming churlish Id be glad to Splendid At what time and six Between five Right Ill I'll be looking for you I wish there were room for us to fence a bit but Im I'm afraid that's sible Im glad there Isn't I told him Im very rusty and went back to the workroom It was five when I finished and under Annies Annie's convoy took the com com- completed completed completed copy to my employer She sat in the living room at her version of afternoon tea tea solitaire solitaire a ciga ciga- cigarette cigarette cigarette rette and a highball I waited while she read the script slowly and without expression When she had laid the last page aside she said Youre very able as well as will will- ful Youve You've done it exactly as I should should should-If if I had your gift gilt Will you take Allegra to the opera this eve eve- evening evening evening ning The Tho question flung Oung at me while I Iwas Iwas Iwas was a little unsettled by her approval al I al-I I had not had much praise In Inthe Inthe inthe the last few weeks weeks was was like a punch In the stomach I gasped She chose chos to misread my confusion A purely business proposition Allegra was going with Grove Ml All the other young men she knows have engagements She cant can't very well go by herself and if 11 you'll escort her her her- I can send in my bill blU tomor tomor- tomorrow tomorrow tomorrow row I asked No Miss Paget Im I'm busy this evening There are times David Mallory when I could slap you Miss Aga Agatha tha said and sat very straight ir n her wheel chair That goes double I answered She chuckled She liked defiance I TO DE CONTINUED |
