Murder at Large

“Sergeant,” said Belknap quickly, “will you and Berry go up to Miss Video’s room? John, show them up. You may begin to notice there’s something damn wrong with things around here. There is. And I must have a word with the Judge alone. He’s the one to bring it to a standstill—if there is still time.”

He seized Whittaker by the arm and half led, half pushed him into the dining-room. Berry and Stebbins made the stairs three at a bound. Julian dragged Joel onto the terrace outside the windows.

“Julian—darling,” Joel protested, “please leave me alone. I must go to bed. I’m ill, really I am; and so is poor Uncle Bertrand. Didn’t you see how frightfully he looked?”

“Now don’t poor your Uncle Bertrand in front of me, Joel. If you begin sticking up for him now that he’s in such a pickle you and I part company. He’s downright responsible for the whole mess. And don’t you dare talk about going to bed either. I’ve got to talk to you—to you or someone else—or I’ll simply burst. And I refuse to burst in front of Belknap. You must spare me that, dear. Now listen to me.” His voice fell almost to a whisper. “I’ve got a clue—a clue, do you hear me? A tangible clue! Darling, don’t shut your eyes. Look.”

Julian produced a little square of fool’s cap with letters as unintelligible to Joel as hieroglyphics typed across it. Joel feverishly rubbed out its network of wrinkles and squinted at it as though she were near-sighted.

“Oh, Julian, I don’t want to know about this. Don’t let’s get mixed up in it. Let’s run away, do.”

“Run away! Me? Why it’s the chance of a life-time to make a reputation for myself. You aren’t going to be the kind of wife that asks her husband to sacrifice himself for her on the eve of establishing his career, are you?”

“No-o—only I’m afraid of it, like a bomb. I’d rather somebody else handled it. Let’s take it to that sergeant, or Mr. Belknap, or Lieutenant Berry. Perhaps it’s really important.”

“Perhaps it’s important. I like that. It is important. It’s a code message. A code. And codes are my middle name. Didn’t you know that, darling? Good in arithmetic, fair in geography, poor in deportment, rank in spellin’; but perfect in codes. I know as much about codes as that Philo Vance man knows about all other subjects put together. I have an idea he crams, while I have made codes my life work. Began in grade school behind those old desk tops we used to have, do you remember, when what was learned on top was nothing to what was learned under cover.”

“Oh, Julian, do stop fooling. If you get into one of your fooling moods there’ll be no keeping even these murders serious. For heaven’s sake, if you know so much about codes, don’t keep me in suspense.”

“It’s a difficult code, Joel. One of the toughest. That Japanese thing they used during the War. But I’ve figured it. Listen. ‘Blake has been tapping the STC wires. This week-end is your chance. Get him.’”

“Addressed to whom?”

“Addressed, stupid! You didn’t think they’d write a code and address it, did you? If it came here at all it came by messenger, of course. But it’s unlikely it came here. Whoever received it brought it with him.”

“And if we knew who received it, it would at least settle Colonel Blake’s murder, wouldn’t it? Oh, Julian, you are clever. Where did you get it?”

“On the stairs as I came down.”

“Julian, it’s a wonder you’re alive! To think you’ve been the first to pick up a clue with all these great detectives about. And where were you all night? I waited and waited—and worried and worried— Why didn’t you come back?”

“Joel, I’m so sorry. Truly I am. But do you know what I did, dearest? I went to sleep.”

“To sleep?”

“To sleep, that’s what I said.” Julian came to his own rescue before her tone of reproach. “What’s so funny about that? I was tired. I went to your uncle’s room and he wasn’t there. So I waited. I dropped off on the lounge. He never came back as far as I know. When I woke it was all hours. I’d heard nothing. And coming out into the hall I was welcomed by Mrs. Crawford’s reveille.”

“Julian, how can you say such things. When I’m feeling so terribly, too. Do make me rest somehow, dear. My head—my eyes— No, there isn’t time for it, I know. We must take your wonderful clue to Mr. Belknap.”

“Not Belknap, sweetheart. Never Belknap. He has the fanatic’s eye and it doesn’t appeal to me. Perhaps Berry, sometime. I rather cotton to Berry. But for the nonce I hunt alone. I might accomplish miracles with a dash of luck. You must realize I have a deductive mind—as well as a seductive, darling.”

“Please— Don’t. I can’t play with you. We must go—”

Go where was settled on the instant by what Julian would have sworn were two shots in rapid succession, which rang out in the interior of the house. Two policemen, guns in hand, breath shortening, came scuttling around opposite corners of the house.

“Prisoner’s Base or Run Sheep Run?” asked Julian delightedly. “Or just plain catch-as-catch-can?” he added, springing ahead of them into the library. Nadia sat alone in the room—with Blake’s body almost at her feet. Her head lay back on the divan top. A lighted cigarette hung between very red lips. She had taken time out to make up. There was not the flicker of an expression in the more than usually mask-like face. Nor did it unbend as Belknap opened the dining-room door, asking for Doctor Giles.

“Quick. I’m afraid they’ve got Whittaker. Where in Hell are the police?”

Whittaker lay huddled over the table, his face in his arms. Dr. Giles’ hasty examination showed that he had been shot from behind. The bullet had entered below the left shoulder blade, passed through the heart (death being instantaneous), and lodged in the table, splintering the wood deeply. Berry remarked on the last.

“Close range, that,” he said. “Are you sure there was no one else in the room, Belknap? Could someone have slipped in behind you both?”

“It seems very unlikely. I should have said the shot came from the direction of the library. But I myself was facing that particular door.”

“There were two shots fired,” said Julian.

“I beg your pardon, Mr. Prentice.” Belknap was short in his speech. “There was one shot fired as you can see.”

“Not necessarily. Every shot doesn’t hit its mark.”

“Granted. But that will be ascertained in due course.”

Sergeant Stebbins had been a strong and silent man since his arrival. A square-headed, ruddy-cheeked, heavy-jowled man, he gave the appearance of being a stone wall instead of a hurdle to anyone who didn’t take him cautiously. And something in Belknap’s last remark seemed to have set his back up.

“Due course!” he rumbled. “Due course! I guess that’s what’s been the whole trouble around here. You’ve been taking your time, haven’t you? Due course! In all your fancy detective work, Mr. Belknap, haven’t you caught on that when it’s one murder you act quick, when it’s two you jump into it, and when it’s three greased lightning shouldn’t have a look-in. I’m sorry to say it, but I think there’s been criminal negligence, Detective. Three murders in as many hours is rather a record in my observation, and under your very nose, so to speak. It’s clearly my duty to put everyone in the house under arrest. You’re damn lucky I don’t include you. Now we’ll get down to brass tacks. A little examining of witnesses won’t come amiss. Who was in the library when the Judge got his?”

“I was; and I was there alone.” Nadia was contemptuous.

“I thought so, lady,” Stebbins said. “You look the kind. We’ll begin with you. The rest of you can clear out of here; and wait your turn in there.” He signified the library with a twist of his thumb.

“One minute, Sergeant,” Belknap coldly interceded. “My impulse of course is to pick you up by the neck and throw you out, your silly nickel badge to the contrary. But, strange as it may seem to you, I have a positively fiendish desire to get to the root of this succession of violent crimes that have spoiled a good week-end. That I happened to be present in an unofficial capacity may be a misfortune in a sense. Privately speaking, it is. But it has also given me certain angles of an extraordinary situation that you could never arrive at if you questioned yourself blue in the face. Whether or not you may wish to take advantage of what I have to offer is another question. I assure you it will be perfectly agreeable to me to paddle my own canoe, and let you paddle yours.”

“Hold on, boys,” Berry interrupted quietly. “My dear Stebbins, you and Belknap had better get together on this. I’m sure we’re all determined upon clearing things up as rapidly and expeditiously as possible. You and I naturally recognize that Mr. Belknap is in a most embarrassing position; and it is more than decent of him to remain on the case. But since he has agreed to throw in his lot with us, I think we should be open to the charge of negligence if we refused his evidence, don’t you? Besides, you can appreciate that he and I are birds of a feather and must work the same airways. So losing him, you lose me.”

Stebbins grumblingly changed his tune. “Have it your own way, Mr. Berry. Have it your own way. I’m sure Mr. Belknap has valuable material to contribute—only the sooner he comes across with it the better, and safer, for all concerned.”

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