OCR Text |
Show = e J jl jlr jlp ' ht r tflj12 flj12 , t GERALD p- p - " 7GERALD BROWN BROWNx BROWNwN 1 x W wN N U FEATURES . private prlvale detective Is enlped en enn pulls ? e ebY McCale Mceale n w bY wealll seealti w"i wi " " y yoltl old Mlss SIlss flss n ft " rlo emo ( ' 10 T v . 10 to 10pr'd tot07 " pr'd prd lped , ' presents prcsents for ( or her niece s sredd he s Ibe the ( d 1 " t07 - ) Mceale MCCOIC McC le accepts accepL _ ool onii onli becairo because bee becauseie au . . mi nt 'scs scs n ' rtdd redd tMt the That , Ml Miss Mhs > s Bleclow lgelow Rlgelow is atrald afraid afraidelwac afraid-K.lliing afraidK.lliing afraid K.lliing Klliing ie " I I"n "n n eeeses " . D n ore serious than tban a poss bleoJOrdOMceale bleadt ble - hIng ng o/JOrdOMceale o JOrdOMceale elwac / ? bfcCale McCale sets scts his assistant nssist.ane nssistane . RockyIbd Rockywe Rocky Rockyklanil Ibd adt Ibdland klanil kland land ana nnd and his h " "Cretan Cretan secrctar secrctarl " Ann Marfo Mar we " Jo Jo0 huntint bunting hondng up back ground [ round d\l\ d l thin thinCI dlrI ditaih \ . \ \0 0 fo ( \ o rI ' btrs bers hers ol of the Urn lam ( am I 1 cs es Involved Involvedas Involvede involvedU CIen . lie e men m en CI e mslie : mRedd McCale llcC.de llcCde McCuie . Inspects InspcctaS.rcli InspcctaSrcli InspectsII inspectslie ms e wtM Redd . , dd ng rig n ; Later ] II U IIb . presents presonts One Is a deed to a aeoderolollc a"1 a1 rcb b rJI lie " 1 > rnlslic isle ! mansion A tall beautifultootle beautiful beaumul beaumulII eoderolollc r II II"de ' " Inblloes InI In"b In Inn , I tootle "de de " .a a . , Toom\o Toom o woman onnn ' \ pla pining plaling lng the plino phoo piano blloes -n n - , "b b " , . b b s < ' Interest Inlerest . . T r vo other olher won enud en ' trff entrff trffa Theyera They ud . < a * , man mao sae appear appcar In the tbe room IyI tb ob lorsly lousJy m.n mn ' ' " . ' " bers ot of the Ibe dm hm ly Iy I I Ia of0rlstocratberandf 0rlstocratberandf 0rlstocratberandfsell sell sellsatisfied epP era ' , > of a . ( " aristocrat c e and scU self satisfied satisfiedepP satisfiedCHAPTER - , CHAPTER IIILost III 111 IIILost Lost in 111s ills nls reverie revene of this neo neoGrec neoGcec neoGrcc Grec Gcec i t \ son son1cCale s s on McCale \1cCale 1cCale RlcCale ! \ hardly heardAdelaide heardAdelaide heard heardAdelaide Adelaide B g010 gelo gclo v SPeak SPeakMay speak'lay speak'lay ' May 'lay lay ' I I present Mr McCaleM.b McCale McCaleSyb McCalecyt McCalecyti Syb M.b Mb . \i i lr \ I ' Th Tb s is Mr- Mr Mrs MrJoel - - ; Joel B gelo v vTbe vThe vUK Tbe The Tbebr Thebr br ds dIs d , s mother She put herband her herhand herliind hand band on his sleeve Mr McCile McC"1le McC1le " s sAgency sAeency bandsi si overseeingnthe sioverseeingnthe overseeingntheM overseeingntheedd M Agency y I Igj Is overseemg-the overseemg the overseeing - the wedd wcdd edd nggJs ng fis gJs fisffA gJsW gj ; W ffA wdi swdi s J1 an effort he brought him hem himI hemstir ( I . scV .reI reI stir ! back to the woman \ who wlao ho faced facedbe facedluin hIm be He t ' \ as consc conic ous ol of an im km impres kmpros 1mKS pres pros , ve ye bust folio ved by about a ai apindred atjndred i pindred J dred and nd fifty dollars worth ot of otshaDcd ofilsocd otsliDEd shaDcd ilsocd and girdled figure expen expenslvely expenslvely expensliely slvely tralntd trained not to split the seams seamsft seamsn 01 ft ( i 8 a black afternoon dress She Shewore Shecore Shetore wore core far too rnuch much gold costumejewelry costume costumei , i Kiclry jewelry t ] clry just below the . chin c.hin of ani anElizabeth an ' i Hinbeth E1zabeth Elizabeth ! Arden face topped by a aognee asopiet 50 ognee gnee up haLr hair hairdo do Her manner"as mannerwas manner manneris "as as was " is arrogant as she repeated histime h13 his h13name hispane name pane B m the cool detached tone she sheaught sheaught sheiniht aught ; use to a chauffeur She acknowledged acmowledged ac ' knowledged mowledged the ) Introduct introduet ntroduct on that thatwas tha thatiras t t'lias 'lias lias was ' all then moved majest tallyaway cally tally callyi i . tiraT .way way away . folio vmg ving her bust to a low lowtable lowtable lowidle table ( in pursuit of a glass ot of sherry sherryA A corner of McCale s mind mmd wasltill wasttdl was itill ltill ttdl at the p ano ana where the v \ white whitegoddess , lutegoddess lute * ' goddess ( oddtss no v v playedsometlung playedsomething played something sometlung byGershWIn byGershwtn by ? Ctrshwm GershWIn Gershwtn la In a real broken beat beatBe beatBe beatBt Be caught an amused glance from fromII fromMss II 11 ss as Bigelow before she presentedSen presentedmn presentedIan presented mn Ian : to 10 the couple s ttmg tting on the sofa'VIctoria sofa'Victoria sofa sofa'Victoria ' 'Victoria Victoria ' B gelow murmureda murmured murmuredUss a ; Iss liii ! ] Adela de and Stephentheh Stephen-the Stephen the Stephen - - the [ &i i h & de s sister and brotherThe brother brotherThe ; The girl looked a 1 I ttle ttIe the old around aroundthe aroundlie around.tie aroundtie . the lie eyes a 11 httle tittle ttle hard around the themouth th thiiuth the.noiith thenoiith . mouth iiuth . . She was somehow like a adr'Wlng atrwing aIr-vmg aIr vmg dr'Wlng drWlng trwing ' - in the slightly degeneratemacabre degenerate degeneratemacabre degenerateiBBcabre macabre Beardsleyalltack style of Beardsley-all Beardsley all Beardsley - al ] ' blick ack tack and white w th finely drat drattyebrows drawneyEbrows drawn [ retrows eyEbrows tyebrows ( and smudged lashesdire lashes lashesbelt lashesUnit belt dire ! was something somethmg viper sh in 10 th thray thef37 the e ny f37 ray the she held her pointed pomted chin Her He Hef r f * " bt tedy telly theathed sheathed in a dress styled for fo fowmtmre r n fon ; someone IOIIlEOlle wmtmre tar ( ar beyond her ageeemed age agevailtd lEmed eemed < too assured too relaxed relaJ\.ed relaJ.ed relaJ .ed ed \ . tooe tooillmg too tooi i e , "ii"E iiE IJlling illmg " illmga " a * " Itus ttwas tt It us as easy to see that StephenB Stephe StepheB Stephen _ B Bielow gelow Below was Victoria s s brother H Hhid He Hehad Hehid e had hid the same hard finish flmsh the wh te testn t tskin teitin e stn skin ! the narrow face tace In t t venty ventyars vent ventors ventyItars y ars ors he would be lantern saweand jawed sawe jawedand jawedind d and hollow eyed Already there was wasI wa waa s 8 a crease of cruelty around his un ins unmy inseasy untisj my easy mouth . . . From the way he ateked at ata atladed athAed laded eked hs h s highball lughball McCale sus susittct susyected a Y susY Jltc1ed yected his petulance was partly th thI thBtct the theI theJ e I J ittct Btct < eet of a speedily speed y evanescing bv liv bver livIf livtr I er If He wolfed his drink dnnk \ while lule nodLilig nod nodto nod'mt nodmt ' Lilig to McCale RlcCale but his Ius eyes wer ever wero weroI weroed evered werMil < I Mil ed on the . * ? woman oman at the pianoLovely piano pianolowly lowly Lotely Lovely ; VeronicaSeems rolllca Veronica Veronica"I T ' "I I "Ieems " | eems NervousMrs Nervous saidteas ' Mrs Stephen B gelow saId saIds sai saiI sais d I s Adelaide and left McCale McCaleg McCa ] e McCalilohnt long g down at a polite pollie Garbo is isask Isn isirisk n . ask aska a slow smile and slender slender8atette slender"iEtette slenderiEtette I " gerette 8atette stained stamed fingers lingers p eking cking out ouUt ou t Ilush ! outIush lush Iush tone Yet that sensual tol un to unrcurrent un- un un'reinrent Ut - /l l / lcurrent , 'rein-rent 'rein rein rent rcurrent ' current - that might ha\ ha ha\e ha e hae hate \ e bee beeaely been n i St\j St j aely glandularas ely \ chem chern them calor cal or even glandular as " 5 there He felt it he as kne line lineten v vep i'P'len iPlen ep ten ' ' en the fellHe woman s husband tell felt fell : He sensed what slavery theret thert there ther thereBt e Bt t be in loving lovmg a woman 1 1 I k kr ke kel e StephenSItt ? -l l - r , could see that part of Stephen s si sIIUessne i SItt SIttelfessness ' e'Bessness eBessness elfessness IIUessne ' s vas a s ckness and thalei thai tha t twas ; Jo oJo lei ( ) ) was ai living l1vmg on the cocaine of ofe o ol t ' e ( Jonag ! nag e c e . ' ; lle he be d dn do t resent his h.1s h1s . stand n ng1 nIlls Ills IllsI nge ng g : 1 ' " e I t e as she played She didn dldn drdn drdntl6 t tor f f.1 . . . litalf . . -.1 .1 m i- i iP tl6 tl6ar - cffortpUt or ar sm em Ie le - or - ? make - - any etiorDot cffort etior t P Hit pUt Dot him hun at his at.hls athls . ease She kne v 'h h ' ' ve e I ' was 'lias lias ' dazzled 1 , E dazzled not quite sure ot otelf o o1Wt 1Wt oW f-tuclt f tuclt - elf eU bat btJt bait it didn didnt t even seem to tCI t . toI4e CI ' . theddle thddle I4e ee her Break ng off in m the th th"Ie thIe ( ; ddle " of a run andw and w thout speak g f speakg speakf ' 'he he she the ' reached lor for a coffee cup at a t - 1 a-El a El ate ae speakQ e iar far " end of the Q keyboardKaren keyboardEons keyboard keyboard"ten I Karen Eons "ten ten " had seated herself herselt ! dit det t r Ir Husband hUshand hUshandand husbandand bes d de I ' 1snall and 3omed Jomed joined by SybI Syb 1 1 1em I snall small ! group was carr carrying ) Ing on ond a ' uttary ultory auttary onultory can conversation versa tIon about the th e ' d thedmg thINg dmg INg rehearsal the br des de s desds ded d + ads ds and thdlr theI the ushers It was the th e ' dlr I 1 half halfcatty catty post mortem mortemh h "She She mortem"She " She s very beaut tul ful , Isn fsn t she ' nblt " M Mss B pd ss gelov McCala catch ng McCalI McCale McCal McCaleII e ' II I a KarenMai W1th with Ius his e eyes ) es on Karen Mai ! em KarenMcCale McCale RlcCale grunted smllmg smiling smiUn smllmg.Ihe smilingibe ; "te te " ibe .Ihe Ihe . always l i ke thIS this9 ' EI EI.A .A A A Adst AdeItn Adsmiled Nord c princess9 prmcess princess ' Miss Ade Ad e < st tnided smiled Itn smiledslight ed edslight sUght slight distaste curl ng n g , ngcorners ncomers ' ' 'rraers rraers corners comers of her mouth jt I j t afraid Iafraid jafraid afraidnot Irald notj11j not j11j j11jAil I.h Ih Ail . notI.h The descnpl1ve descriptive SwedIsh Swedis h , dOl hdOl JUst lust so so'She so5he 'She She 5he ' talentedfl s very talentedy4 talented y4 fl is mdeed indeed spy/ spy indeedspy spyhl sa hl mdeedsa ! B gelow Below / like Uke was m k kng ng hIm hi r m aui11 e shEvng Paul ram pry why oad had bad badau she au e ? i11 , g v ng hm h m the the unpressiorc unpresslOne e last [ unpresslOn Impressio n tstte few m " "ute ute nute nukes " . that [ KarenWortb Kareworth Karen KarenI Kare Karein,0 Karein0 n ? I Wortb worth WortbwatchIng worthwatching ' watehine watchIng th thn then thin9 -n n < - ? ' He H , H'd , HeII nged ged 'd d ' the i 3 subjecti t Het III III'lV1lI I IN II O haveO 'lV1lI lV1lI 'lV1lIYOU ' a N msou subjectmsou on > ll llYou n YOU subject want " "t t " me to have my m y ' lOiely closely c watchedc watchclosely , duty elY , y ton ght2 ght ? He watched watch " 'atche atche ' ell All n the tightness t4 camet4 ; a into " "o o " to her eyes eyesr cam came ca me II eyesII III ( ' r -I I -1 1 - eyes1 1 don t know 4 4ddet "l l " ddenly knowddenly ddet enly y h hf he e was ? , - , . I 1 i ke lie , . - . _ . In IIn Ine w B a dent a man wait wa t- t . tll - ll dentISt 8 s office yli1 t Otntth ! wantmg wanting to j js0lnething IOtnething s0lnething , go In there and get g et t it 0\ 0 o\cr o cr 0cr otcr \ cr \ viith with Ith He started to talk talkalmost talkalmost talkalmost almost blurted out You re in some sometrouble sometrouble sometrouble trouble Miss B gelo gale v vou \ou ou Iou \ ou ouedhelp i.ed ied i.edhelp . > -edhelp edhelp - ed edhelp help You do You came to me th s smornIng smorning smorning mornIng wIthIt with it wr tten 11en all overyour over overyour overyour your face You re afr-ud afr ud afr"lld afrlld afrisd " - of somethingsomething some somethmgsomethmg something thmg-somethmg thmg somethmg thing-something thing something - something that has noth ng ngto to do w th weddng wedd ng g tts fts Its He made madea a gesture as f t he vere wav way ng themaway them themaway 3\\ 3 3ay away \ ay You are afra d I I kno vI vsuppose vI vsuppose v vI thoughher I suppose you do But though her hand trembled her eyes verevacant vere verevacant verevacant verevacantTell vacant vacant'Tell vacantTell ' Tell 'Tell me what it is G ve ye meyour me meyour meyour your confidence If you want my myhelp help I must have it What do you } ) OU OUfear oufear9 youfear fear ' Who is making makmg you atraid9 afraId atraid9No ? ' No v I ve ye done it he cursed curscd to tolumself tohimself tohimself sharphalf sharphal lumself himself for she thre v him a sharp hal half ! angry glance and got up He Hestumblcd Hestumbled Hestumbled stumblcd stumbled to his feet bl nd rid v w \ . th an anger anger anger ger at h mself mscf mscif ! but she vas smilingat smllmg smiling smllmgat smilingat at two people vho oho were enter entcr ng ngthe the roomThe room'I11e room roomThe ' The 'I11e I11e g gri rl vas all gold Her skin skintones skintones ' tones were coffee and cream in 10 theliquid the thelIqUid theliquid portraitShe lIqUid sense ol of a Laurcncin Laurcncln Laurencin portraIt She was not beautiful beautuul but her facehad face facehad facehad had a depth depthand and a glo glov v that was wascUriously wascuriously wascuriously cUriously warming Thatas That v.as vas \\as as was \ . It it.She itShe It . . She was warm and golden and you knew youknew at once that she vas intelh intent intelhgent intentgent intelligent gent and n ce as well as decorative decora decorahve decoralive hve tive Her hair was long naturally naturallycurly naturallycurly naturallycurly curly and of ot a burnished bronze bronzeShe 1ii11 I II Id I d a 1 I 1 { l / ; 'orb orb ' , c f - f x fx . She didn dldn t t resent his standingthere standing standingthere standingthere there as she playedcolor played playedcolor color Her head was set on a per pertectly perfectly perectly tectly fectly ( proport oned body Dressed Dressedas Dressedas as she was In shades of beige andbrown andbrown and andbrown brown simply and in beauhful beautiful beauhfultaste beautifultaste taste she was at once qUIetly qUIetlycharmmg quietlycharming quietlycharming charmmg charming assured thoroughbred'Veron thoroughbred ' Veron 'Veron ' ca-dear ca dear ca - - dear Miss BIgelow BIgelowtouched Bigelowtouched Bigelowtouched touched her kissed her There was wasIn wasin wasin In her voice a note ot of passionateconcern passionateconcern passIOnate passIOnateconcern concern of ot pnde--Qf pnde Qf pride--of pride of pnde - - - of rel reI et ef of ofAdelaide etAdelaide Adelaide Bigelow introduced thegolden the thegolden thegolden golden girl in m the doorway to Mc McCale McCale MeCale Cale and he was surprised at thecreature the thecreature thecreature creature s throaty mellow voice It Itlacked Itlacked Itlacked lacked the superficiality superficlal1ty of ot the debu debutante debutante debutante tante drawL But wasn t there something some somethIng something thIng a trifle tnfie nervy a bit disquiet disquietmg disquietrng disquieting mg rng about the edges of that vOIce voice9There ' There wasShe was wasShe She pecked at her aunt smiled smiledat smiledat at McCale made a few quick nerv nervous nervous nervous ous laughing laughmg jibes at her family andsa and andsa sa d in 10 that modulated too well con controlled controlled controlled trolled tone Anyth ng new come come9Present ' Present I mean Anything Anythmg exclt excit excltmg excitmg exciting7 exciting7M mg ' Mss M ss Adela de do turned abruptly as asshe asshe asshe she was about to introduce McCaleto McCale McCaleto McCalee to ths the ioung young ) oung man who had come came In InWIth inwith inwith WIth her She made a futile ges gesture gesture ture tore as if lf d to ward the girl gul o off ofI I butVeron but |