Show it I 1 I 1 I 1 F F VAN VE WAT C by FREDERIC F VAN DE R e CHAPTER X continued 10 I 1 had a bare hour to change and return to the paget apartment when I 1 reached my lodging house I 1 galloped up the stair thrust open the door and paused staring hi accomplice said jerry cochrane 1 I began to think moved again he sat beneath the lighted wall bracket and gave a bland smile I 1 was not too hospitable whatever I 1 told him is on your mind will have to be unloaded while I 1 shave and dress ive got a date oh ho crooned cochrane and looked at me with fake mildness something more important than your duty to your paper for which every reporter worthy of the name would give his life blood in round numbers about a thousand times as important to me I 1 told him where I 1 was going while I 1 stripped off coat vest and shirt he said mildly for a country lad you aim high mister I 1 let that pass cochrane droned dronek i ive found out something so what I 1 encouraging he blinked and beamed you remember the guy I 1 told you about who went gold hunting with lyon ferriter and never came back the question stopped me as I 1 turned toward the bureau for my shaving kit I 1 nodded horstman it the same cochrane droned dronek this everett ferriter the brother does he look like a heinie Is s this I 1 asked rasped by the knowledge that he hid something aa a game of twenty questions if so lets postpone it look like a heinle heinie of course he hes got a phony oxford accent a little waxed mustache a faintly mauve manner and a letch for cologne he wears a funny expression half hauteur halt half imminent sneeze hes no german maybe not cochrane answered dreamily but he changed his name to ferriter during the war king george bawd bless im changed his too I 1 jeered the innocent face before me beamed he changed it to ferriter my caller droned dronek it used to be horstman I 1 stared cochranes cochranee Coch ranes expression was as guileless as a pan of milk 1 I give up I 1 said at last im not good at riddles the answer 1 41 I dont know the reporter told me gently 1 I hoped that maybe we could find one together and now im all muddled up if its any of my business what was your date with the pure young man are you completely goofy I 1 asked what man the guy with the sneeze expression and the cologne cochrane went on he sajid he was waiting to see you I 1 looked at him hard waiting where my astonishment seemed to comfort cochrane he beamed in here he said it must have been everett though ive never had a of him before he blew a minute after I 1 came seemed pretty anxious to go too who let him in I 1 began and then remembered I 1 had told mrs shaw to admit any man who called again in my mind the swarm of half uttered questions stung and flew search me cochrane answered but he let himself out before I 1 could learn who he was you expecting a call from mr ferriter horstman 1 I was not I 1 snapped and turning opened the bureau drawer I 1 hear the question cochrane asked my face must have been strange for his own changed when I 1 looked at him again he came here I 1 said slowly to 0 search this room hes been through the bureau did he get what he was after cochrane asked 1 I dont I 1 answered even know what he was looking for CHAPTER XI cochrane said gently you might check if hes taken anything by the mess in the bureau drawer my visitor had not been a cool and careful seeker or perhaps the reporter had come in before he could reorder the jumble of handkerchiefs neckties and the like hes left me my razor I 1 told cochrane 61 and what I 1 need most right now if theres any more confusion you want to spread you can trot along to the bathroom with me in his cherubic face his eyes were bright you dont let business interfere with your pleasure laddie not this time I 1 snapped and he grinned go ahead he waved at the door ill just sit here and think he was staring as though the opposite wall were not there when whan I 1 returned why should he want to rob you he asked why p I 1 threw back at him should his brother want to kill me and while I 1 dressed I 1 told him of my duel with Lyon cochrane lit a cigarette and watched the smoke he blew he did not speak until I 1 bent before the mirror to tie my tie then he said in mild complaint 1 I wish crime could be a little more orderly we pick up bits here and scraps there and put them all together they spell nothing I 1 was pulled two ways I 1 wanted to stay and sift the days events with jerry in the hope of finding coherence in their madness I 1 wondered as I 1 fidgeted and looked at my watch if anything but the promise of this evening could possibly make me willing to leave why cochrane asked narrow eyed should one of the horstman ferriter boys try to kill you and the other toss your room so inexpertly you tell me I 1 said ive got ten minutes more at most then he answered getting up we better spend it elsewhere lets go laddle laddie go where well call on your friend everett anyone in such beautiful evening clothes ought to be able to get me into the morello so far the outside lobby has been my farthest north my son wait a minute we go to see everett I 1 tell him I 1 think he robbed me he says he and be that how far does it get us just about as far as get by charging lyon with felonious assault but if the jittery gent is home alone and we can get to him well I 1 think hell break down he looks like the sort that cant take it and laddie when im crowded I 1 can deal it he had another nervous collapse or whatever this noon I 1 told my companion as we pulled on our coats hes not built for a murderer those that arent built for it suffer worst when they do it cochrane replied with an angelic smile and led the way downstairs we hailed a taxi and drove toward the morello beside me cochrane smoked in silence for some minutes before he asked with the sleepy air he used when things were most important 1 I dont suppose youve had time during your toilet to give a thought to the fact that everett used to be horstman this nightmare I 1 told him moves too fast for me to think V al yz N whatever is on your mind will have to be unloaded while I 1 shave much of any one thing what are you brooding on now well he said horstman could be a german name eh ch I 1 nodded he went on softly and it was a german voice you heard over the phone just before blackboard blackbeard was killed he saw that he had pricked me and beamed you dont think I 1 asked angri ly that I 1 dont know everetts voice you really cant think that he has the guts to it if you knew cochrane broke in the number and variety of the things I 1 can think be dismayed and grieved anyway you might chew on that a little during your wooing of the lovely heiress listen I 1 began and glared at him he smiled sweetly 1 I dont want to hear a word he answered here we are at the scene of the crime walters the night doorman was in attendance on a shiny town car when our cab drew up at the morello and cochrane followed me into the foyer unchallenged fineman was on the switchboard he seemed too dazzled at sight of me in formal clothes to notice the reporter and at my request telephoned the ferriter apartment nobody home he said flicking down the switch the old boy him that was pinched after the killing went out twenty minutes ago 1 I wanted to see his brother everetts absence cheered me apparently the furies had found another job and my way upstairs to the paget apartment was clear at last him asked fineman he shown since I 1 came on ill tell him if he comes do that I 1 answered and turned back to cochrane he e grinned at my news well he ha said we tried anyway good night to you prince charming have a nice opera I 1 think ill nose around a bit not in here where I 1 pollute the patrician atmosphere and run a chance of getting heaved out on my neck but outside ill be seeing you laddie 1 I feel like a pup walking out on you n now ow I 1 said 1 I certainly hope you do cochrane answered cheerfully miss aliss agatha and allegra were w e re in I 1 n the I 1 living iving room there was co coalee afee on the table beside them and its fragrance for an instant made me aware that I 1 had missed another meal then Alle allegra grat smiled and I 1 forgot prosaic food she was very fair in her black evening dress with the frosty coronet in her hair so lovely of body and face that I 1 looked quickly away and endured the old ladys humorous glare david miss agatha asked do you always appear everywhere exactly on time with the look of one who has run the last hundred yards 1 I 1 always run at least the last hundred when im going to see you I 1 told her allegra giggled miss agatha retorted my dear boy ive been at a whetstone on which many men have sharpened their gallantry for use on others you dont impress me go on to your opera its wagner and it serves you both right I 1 held the glittering fur collared coat in which allegra wrapped herself the fragrance of her hair made me slightly dizzy she went to her aunt and bending kissed her I 1 saw the old hands catch one of hers and hold it tightly passionately for an instant there was pathos in that there was none in miss agathas brisk voice allegra AI legra will you remember that david mallory starts his work again in just thirteen hours what havoc you make of other mens nights is is between you and your god david is my employee hes got to do a second chapter tomorrow as good as the first dont keep him out till dawn the girl laughed agatha she promised you be surprised ive lived with y you ou young hellions hel lions too long for that said the old lady the tenderness in her eyes did not reach her voice until we turned to leave the room take good care ol of her david she called after us CHAPTER XII most of the first act of die wal fuere went over my head which perhaps left me even with most of the audience I 1 was stirred more by the girl beside me than by the fat persons on the stage she watched their and whenever I 1 dared I 1 watched her it get you at all she was flushed and her eyes were bright I 1 rose to let our seat neighbors pass into the aisle it got too much of me I 1 told her shall we get out if you had an opera hat she said id know you were itching to wear it in the lobby with the rest of the show offs me id rather sit still it takes time for me to get my breath after ring music lets just talk I 1 said id rather too will you pick up where we were interrupted why everett an alibi arent you shea she asked the most persistent person her smile faded and her face grew troubled she frowned and picked her words measured by time he if you can stretch your imagination to believe him a murderer he might have done it then why I 1 began but she took away my question why did I 1 clear him because it was idiotic to dream its still crazy to think that everett was the killer when captain shannon began checking up agatha said I 1 had been with everett and I 1 let it go at that I 1 had been too but only for I iss ss than five minutes before you came in how long he had been in our apart mau before that I 1 dont know he usually spends most of the afternoon in the workroom ile he has a latchkey 11 her eyes were dark with worry I 1 said trying for lightness there are too many latchkeys latch keys I 1 knew from the way she caught her breath that the jest had hurt she sat tor for a moment pleat ing her program with nervous fingers and I 1 felt she was trying to control her voice it was quiet when she said at last an grove is with lone ione t tonight 1 I 1 could find no answer for a moment she went on as though she were afraid of silence they probably are out together right now they always are when he has one of these business engagements gage ments that keeps him from coming home she turned and faced me like a child who is sorry tor for a fault maybe not fair maybe she loves him its just that well im jealous I 1 suppose grove and I 1 have been very close since we were little children and now were not not all this murder seems to have turned world but agathas upside down im frightened for grove hes walking deep into something and im afraid sure I 1 said 1 I know hoew how howar vr feel y the thick voice I 1 had heard 0 over er the telephone the still unexplained d disappearance rance of the murderer AV P IN you ain just a spectator grove turning on the light in the ferriter apartment my struggle in I 1 the dark basement hallway everetts furtive raid on my room my duel with hla brother these were blown about by the strong wind of music and his rival hii wan fighting witla with swords on the stagy when the tha clumsy contest ended I 1 found my palms alms clammy and my breath braill I 1 might at this moment be like the slain hund ing inc I 1 lcd bcd d at allegra she had made life important i I 1 was sweating as tho tha curtain fell allegra too had felt the spell she watched me mop my face and I 1 think read there something more than the effect eff act of an operatic tragedy when our neighbors had gone again into the lobby she asked just what is your your interest in this mess I 1 could tell from her eyes and the sound of her words that she had kept that question a long while I 1 tried to gain time 1 I dont quite know what you 1 mean v she brushed that away w aia quick movement of her hands mister she said with hollow gaiety you trifle with a poor girl would you you arent just a spectator youre in this up to your neck I 1 can feel it why I 1 said slowly a hard one because it if I 1 told you the truth it if I 1 said that my interest in a murderer and a murder was chiefly almost entirely the hope that I 1 might help you you believe me I 1 TO BE CONTINUED |