Blondes' Requiem

VIII

It was a full minute before I realized how completely trapped we were. In that time I had darted to the door and flung myself against it. It was solid stone and I simply bounced off it with a badly bruised shoulder. I ran round the square building with the flashlight, but there was no other exit. The floor was of stone with no possibility, without proper tools, of hacking it up.

I stood staring at Audrey, my face glistening in the now yellow beam of the flashlight, while she looked at me in horror.

“Did you see?” she gasped, running to me. “He’s killing Reg! You must do something... you must help him!”

I held her to me. “For God’s sake, Audrey,” I said, gripping her arms, “don’t lose your head. We can’t do a thing. Don’t you understand, kid, we’re buried alive!”

She stiffened and held on to me, but she didn’t say anything.

I waited a moment, then said: “What fools we were to come in here without telling anyone! He’s got us all right. What the hell are we going to do?”

Trying to steady her voice, Audrey said: “We’ll get out... it’s... it’s Reg... there was a rope around his neck...” She caught back a sob.

I hadn’t even my gun. Except for the flimsy screwdriver, I had nothing with which to tackle the door. Pushing Audrey gently aside, I examined the lock. I saw it was hopeless. A stick of dynamite wouldn’t shift it.

To make matters worse, the flashlight was failing. I snapped it off and we stood in the heavy darkness, listening, but the thick walls of the tomb cut off all outside sound.

The thick, cloying atmosphere, the darkness and the feel of death in the place stretched my nerves almost to breaking point.

“I’m not so scared now,” Audrey said suddenly out of the darkness. “Let’s sit down, Marc. I’m sure someone will get us out of this.”

I groped for her, touched her hand, and together we sat on the bottom step. I wished I felt as she did, but it was no use showing her how scared I was.

“So it was Hench, after all,” Audrey said, leaning against me. “We’ve just got to get out and make him pay for this.”

“I don’t think it was Hench. Why shouldn’t Ted have been there too? Know what I think? Hench is tied up with this but he isn’t the murderer. He’s the guy who’s been getting rid of the bodies, but I’ve a hunch he’s not the killer.” I put my arm around Audrey’s shoulders. “But this isn’t going to help us get out of here.”

“Don’t think about it,” Audrey said. I could feel a little shiver run through her. “We mustn’t think about it, or we’ll go crazy. I’ve often dreamed of being buried alive... haven’t you?”

“Now, shut up!” I said roughly. “That’s no way to talk. I wish this flashlight wasn’t going back on us.” I put it on again. The yellow feeble light was not reassuring. “Wait a second,” I said, and getting up I walked over to the coffin I had opened. I lifted the lid and made sure that it was Marian French and I hadn’t imagined it. She was there all right.

If I could only get out of this vault I could bust the case wide open. The silence in the tomb was overpowering and I began to find breathing difficult. In a few hours, I thought dismally, we’d both suffocate.

I went back to Audrey and again turned out the flashlight. “If we get out of here,” I said, slipping my arm around her again, “shall we get married?”

She rested her head on my shoulder. “Hmmm,” she said, “but, do you really want to get married?”

“To you... more than anything else,” I said, knowing it to be the truth.

“It’ll be something to tell our children, won’t it? I mean that you proposed in a tomb.” Her voice was shaky, but she was trying hard to be flippant.

I kissed her. “We’ll get out all right,” I said, and as I spoke I felt a slight draught of wind against my face. I stiffened, then pulling her to her feet, I faced the door of the vault. “Not a sound,” I whispered, my lips against her ear. “The door’s opening.”

We stood like that for a few seconds, then pushing her behind me I snapped on the flashlight.

The vault door was opening and as the beam of the flashlight shone on it, it swung wide.

I braced myself, expecting to see Elmer Hench, coming to finish us off, but instead, Reg stood there, blinking in the yellow light.

“I’m quitting,” he said in a strangled voice. “Brother, this is the end!”

I sprang forward and grabbed him by his coat collar. “Reg!” I shouted, while Audrey, pushing me away, threw her arms around his neck and kissed him.

We were both all over him for a few seconds and then: “What happened?” I demanded, pulling him away from Audrey and shaking him.

“That’s right, spoil it all,” he said bitterly. “I was having a swell time. Can’t she kiss me just once more?”

“She can’t, you dope,” I said, delighted to see him again. “Hell! I thought you were dead.”

Reg looked over his shoulder into the darkness of the graveyard. “So did I,” he said, with a lot of feeling. “I would have been if those two had any guts.”

“Two?” I said sharply. “There were two?”

“Sure — Hench and someone else. Whoever it was with Hench did the rope trick. I was standing at the door keeping my eyes open when a sudden brilliant streak of lightning lit up the darkness. In that split second I saw Hench. He was standing a good fifty yards from me, but I could see him all right. I was going to yell to you when something fell over my head and before I could call out a cord had tightened around my throat and I was being dragged backwards—”

“I saw you,” I broke in. “It scared the pants off me.”

“You can imagine what it did to me,” Reg said, feeling his throat tenderly. “If I hadn’t used my head, I’d been stiff by now. I heard someone rush past me — I guess it was Hench — and then I heard the vault door slam. I knew what that meant if they rubbed me out. The noose was pretty tight by now and I couldn’t breathe. I kept my balance and I staggered towards the guy who was hauling on the rope. By doing that I managed to keep some slack on the rope, but not much. I felt myself blacking out and then — why I hadn’t thought of it before I don’t know — I remembered I was holding your gun. I started shooting. That did it. These two killers don’t like anyone who hits back. They scrammed. The moment the guy let go of the rope I was okay. I gave ’em a couple more shots to help them on their way and then I came back to find out what had happened to you two. The door was locked and the key had gone, but after a while I found it lying in the grass where Hench had dropped it, and here I am.”

I drew in a deep breath. “You didn’t see who the other person was?” I asked.

Reg shook his head. “No — all I’m sure of is there was someone else with Hench.”

Audrey put her hand in mine. “Don’t you think we should go? They might come back.”

“We’re going in a moment,” I said, squeezing her hand. “There’s just one more thing to do and then we’ll scram. You got a flashlight, Reg? Mine’s nearly done.”

He gave me a small pocket affair. “What’s on your mind?” he asked anxiously. “I’ve had more than enough of this place.”

“You’ve got the key of the vault?”

“Yeah.” He held up the key so I could see it.

“Close the door and stand with your back to it. I’m opening one more of these coffins.”

“Aw, you’re crazy,” he said, but he closed the door and put his back against it.

Audrey sat down on the step and rested her head against the stonewall. She looked white and drawn, but she didn’t raise any objections.

I went over to the coffins again and set to work on the coffin next to the one I had already opened. In five minutes or so I had drawn all the screws and I lifted the lid. One glance was enough.

“Reg,” I called, “come here. Do you know who this is?”

He crossed the vault and stood at my side. “Ohmigod,” he said under his breath, and turned away. “That’s Luce McArthur.”

I lowered the lid and wiped my hands with my handkerchief; I was sweating ice.

“That’s good enough,” I said. “I’m not looking at the others. It’s a safe bet they’re all here. Come on, we’re going home, but we’ve got to get a police guard on this vault or the killer may try to hide ’em again.”

Reg opened the vault door and stared into the darkness. It was beginning to rain. We crowded behind him and stood listening. The thick smell of tuberoses, carnations, lilies, violets and jasmine saturated the hot, still air. The thunder was now a faint distant rumble, but rain fell in heavy isolated drops, making the sound of hundreds of taps on a slack drum.

“Do you see anything?” I whispered.

“Not a thing, but I don’t fancy walking through this darkness with a couple of killers hiding behind a tombstone waiting to jump on us,” Reg said uneasily. “Suppose we spend the night here?”

I considered this, but I didn’t think Audrey could stand another six hours in the vault.

I shook my head. “We’ll go,” I said. “If we keep together, they’ll leave us alone. Maybe they’re miles away by now.”

I stepped into the pouring rain and the other two followed me. I shut and locked the vault, walked up the steps, passed through the iron gate and locked that. I put the key in my pocket.

“Come on,” I said, taking Audrey’s hand. “Let’s go.”

In the beam of the flashlight sheets of black rain fell on the sodden cinder path. Willow trees dripped water dismally on us. On the distant horizon lightning flickered, lighting the grey, weeping clouds.

We walked steadily down the path, our ears pricked, and our hearts thumping. There was no sound in the burial-ground but the crunching of gravel under our feet and the steady beat of rain on the leaves and foliage.

The attendant’s white lodge loomed out of the darkness and we knew we were nearly there.

“I want that book,” I whispered to Reg. “You two wait by the window.”

Audrey clutched me. “No... we’ll come with you. We’re not separating for a moment.”

“Okay,” I said and paused to push up the window.

Five minutes later we were all in Audrey’s car, speeding down the road towards our hotel. I had the attendant’s register on my knee. Reg sat behind us, mopping himself with a sodden handkerchief and muttering under his breath.

“Tomorrow finishes it,” I told them, “and it depends on you, honey, how it finishes.”

“You tell me what to do,” Audrey said quietly, “and I’ll do it... only no more graveyards, please.”

I patted her hand. “It won’t be graveyards,” I said, “but it won’t be much better.”

While I was speaking I spotted an all-night drugstore and I pulled up outside.

“I’ll have a word with Beyfield,” I went on. “I want that vault guarded.”

I was lucky to catch Beyfield as he was leaving. He didn’t sound very enthusiastic when he knew who was calling.

“By tomorrow night,” I told him, “I’ll have this case sewn up. If you want to be in on the ground floor you can help me now. If you don’t want to help me, I’ll take all the credit and you’ll get a hell of a ribbing in the press.”

“What’s the idea?” he demanded. “If you know anything you come over to headquarters or I’ll pinch you as accessary.”

“Don’t talk like a dope. I’ll spill everything tomorrow night, but not till then,” I snapped hack. “I want you to detail a couple of men to watch Crypt Twelve in the Cranville Cemetery. Get ’em there right away. All they have to do is to stick around and sec no one tries to get in. I’ve got the key, but maybe there’s a duplicate. I’ve enough evidence in that vault to split the case wide open.”

He got excited. “The girls are in there, huh?” he demanded.

“Yeah, but hold everything until tomorrow night. I haven’t got the killer yet. If you blow the lid off now you’ll scare the killer into hiding. Even now he may be too scared to go ahead with the next murder. Will you give me until then?”

He finally agreed. “Okay, Spewack,” he said. “I’ll fix it, but we take over tomorrow night.”

“Sure,” I said, grinning at the telephone, “you’ll take over all right.”

I hung up and went out into the rain again.

I was up early the next morning, and leaving Reg and Audrey still in bed I went out to send off a long telegram to Colonel Forsberg. Then I went to a hospital equipment store and placed an urgent order with them.

By the time I returned to the hotel it was just after eleven o’clock. I tapped on Audrey’s door.

“Come in,” she called.

I found her sitting up in bed, a breakfast tray on the table beside her. She laid the morning paper down and smiled at me.

“Where have you been?” she asked, stretching out her hand.

I sat down on the bed and took her hand in mine. I thought she looked pretty good.

“I’ve been getting organized,” I said. “Among other things I’ve bought the licence.”

She laughed. “You haven’t?”

I nodded. “I sure have,” I said. “You don’t think I’d let a chance like this slip through my fingers, do you? You said you’d marry me if we got out of that vault: Well, that’s what you’re going to do.”

“I suppose it’s all right,” she said, pulling me to her. “It won’t be all fun being married to a detective, but at least I’ll know most of the answers.”

We had a nice intimate session together for the next five minutes and then she pushed me away.

“Now let’s concentrate on business,” she said. “What’s going to happen?”

I lit a cigarette, smoothed down my hair and grinned at her.

“Plenty,” I said. “For one thing you’re having your last bachelor date. After tonight you’ll never go out with any other man but me. That’s something to look forward to.”

“You mean — Ted?”

I nodded. “Yeah. We’re going through with this. Maybe we’ve scared Ted. Maybe he won’t try anything, but if he does — then we’ve got him.”

“Do you really think he’s the killer?” she asked. “I still can’t believe it.”

“He must be. It clicks. I think we’ll find he’s a sexual lunatic. Hench’s covering up his crimes by hiding up the bodies,” I said, seriously. “I hate asking you to do this, but unless we catch him red-handed he might beat the rap.”

“What have I got to do?”

“You’ve arranged to go out with him tonight, haven’t you? Well, all I want you to do is to keep the date. The rest — unless I’m mistaken — he’ll do. You have nothing to worry about. Both Reg and I’ll be right behind you.”

“That sounds simple enough,” Audrey said, “but you will watch out, won’t you?”

“I’ll watch out,” I said, and kissed her. “Take it easy and don’t be in a hurry to get up. There’s nothing for you to do until tonight. I’ll see you later.”

I found Reg pacing up and down in our room. He looked up eagerly when I came in.

“What’s cooking?” he asked. “Where have you been?”

“Fixing things,” I told him. “We can’t do much now until tonight. It all depends on Ted. If he doesn’t show up, then we’ll have to do it the hard way. If he does and starts anything — we’ve got him.”

“Audrey’s the bait, huh?”

I nodded. “She’s got guts,” I said. “I wish I didn’t have to ask her to do it.”

Just then the telephone rang. The desk clerk told me Beyfield wanted to see me.

I made a face at Reg. “Show him up,” I said into the telephone, and hung up. “Beyfield’s on his way up,” I told Reg. “I hope he isn’t going to be difficult.”

A few minutes later Beyfield came in. He was wearing the same black and white striped suit and his big fleshy face wore a sour, suspicious look.

I waved him to the only armchair.

Reg sat on the window-ledge and I stood by the empty fireplace.

Beyfield sat down heavily. He didn’t take off his hat. He looked at Reg and then at me.

“I suppose you guys know what you’re doing,” he said, unpeeling paper from a package of chewing gum. “I haven’t told the chief what’s going on, and it’s worrying me.” He fed the strip of gum into his mouth and began to chew.

I eyed him thoughtfully. “I’m nearly ready to crack this case,” I said, “but right now the situation is tricky.”

“You’d better crack it,” he said sourly. “Macey’ll play hell if you foozle it.”

“Did you get those guards on the vault?”

He nodded. “A swell assignment. They loved it. They stopped there all night in the pouring rain listening to the stiffs turning in their graves. I hope you weren’t fooling when you said the girls were in that tomb.”

“I wasn’t,” I said grimly. “I saw ’em myself.”

“So it’s Esslinger?” He looked at me sharply.

I shook my head. “Not Max,” I said.

He waited, but I didn’t say anything more. We all stared at each other while the clock ticked off the minutes.

“The boy, huh?” he asked at last.

“Maybe. I’ll know tonight.”

He chewed some more and then said: “You’re smart. McArthur’s a friend of mine — that’s why I’m giving you a break.”

I thanked him.

“Macey wouldn’t give you a break. He’d bust open the vault,” Beyfield went on. “I’m sticking my neck out. You’d better crack this case.”

“Even if I don’t, I’ve found the bodies. That’s more than you’ve done,” I reminded him.

“Yeah,” he said. “Cranville’s punk.” He brooded for a while and then went on: “I guess this’ll finish Macey, and a good thing too.”

“I’m not interested any more in Cranville,” I said. “I want to get this killer fixed and then I’ll blow.”

“It’s where I have to live,” Beyfield explained, stretching out his long legs. “I don’t want Wolf running this town, and if Esslinger’s washed up, he might.”

“Esslinger’s washed up all right,” I said. “He’ll have to go. His brother-in-law’s tied up with the killings, and that alone is enough.”

“Sure is,” he said gloomily. “Maybe we’ll find some other guy to stand for mayor. I don’t want Wolf...”

“Maybe we could fix Wolf too,” I said, and went on to tell him about Edna Wilson.

He listened thoughtfully and then squinted at me. “Not much you’ve missed,” he said. “If that’s straight, we could fix Wolf.”

“It’s straight all right,” I said.

He got to his feet. “Okay, I’ll do something about that.”

“Have a word with Latimer,” I said. “He could fix it. A front-page story in the Cranville Gazette would blow the lid right off this town. Maybe they’d make you Chief of Police if you played it right.”

For a second a sour smile lit his face. “I’ve even thought of that,” he said. “Yeah, I’ll have a word with Latimer.”

“Want to be in on this?” I asked.

He looked at me questioningly.

“You could come along tonight. I don’t want the credit so long as Colonel Forsberg knows I’ve done my job,” I explained.

His face lit up. “Sure,” he said.

“Okay. Meet us here about seven o’clock. The three of us ought to be able to handle it.”

“I’ll be here,” he said, and moved to the door; then he paused. “I don’t like private dicks,” he went on, staring at the wall above my head, “but you ain’t such a bad guy.”

I laughed at him. “You don’t have to worry about me,” I said. “Look at the dough I’m earning.”

He nodded. “Yeah, I was forgetting that.” He nodded again and went out, closing the door behind him.

Reg snorted. “The big cheese,” he said. “He sees where he can horn in and he’s horning in. Why did you give him a break?”

I lit a cigarette and sank into the armchair, which was still warm from Beyfield’s great body. “Why not?” I said. “After all, we can only go so far. After that it’s a police job. So long as he fixes Macey and Wolf, why should we care?” I inhaled and then sent a long stream of smoke to the ceiling. “Like to come to New York, Reg? I guess Colonel Forsberg could use you.”

Reg stared at me. “You kidding?”

I shook my head. “There wouldn’t be much for you in this place now,” I pointed out. “Audrey and I are getting married.”

When he got through with his congratulations, I said: “How’s about it? Want to come?”

He nodded. “You bet,” he said. “I’ll come all right.”

I stood up. “That’s fine. Well, stick around. We can’t do much until tonight,” and I went to the door.

“Where are you going?” he asked.

“Me?” I grinned at him. “Be your age. I’m going to see my wife.”

Just after six o’clock I entered Audrey’s room with a square box under my arm.

She was sitting in front of her dressing table in a flame wrap, doing her hair.

“Where have you been?” she asked, swinging round and holding out her arms.

I set down the box, kissed her and sat down in the nearby armchair. “I’ve been busy,” I said. “Heard from Ted?”

She nodded. “He telephoned an hour ago and asked me to meet him at Ciro’s Club at eight.”

“So it’s on,” I said, controlling my excitement. “Did he say anything?”

“Nothing that’d help,” she said. “He was friendly and seemed excited about seeing me. He kidded me a lot, but nothing more. You know, I still can’t believe—”

“We’ll soon see,” I said. “What are you wearing?”

“I thought a dress.” She looked puzzled. “Why? Do you want me to wear something special?”

“I do,” I said. “I want you to wear a white suit and a high-neck shirt or even a light sweater with a roll collar.”

“It’s too hot for that,” she protested, but seeing the look in my eye, she paused. “You mean it’s important?”

“You bet I do,” I said. “I want you in white so I can see you in the dark and I want you to wear a polo neck sweater to hide this.” I picked up the box and opened it.

“What on earth is it?” Audrey exclaimed.

“Just a little idea I had,” I said, taking out a plaster cast of her neck and shoulders. It was well made, strong, and in two pieces. “Now sit still a moment and let me try it on.”

“But why? What do you want me to wear that ghastly thing for?”

“With that around your neck,” I said quietly, “no one, try as he may, could strangle you. You don’t think I’m going to take any chances, do you?”

She gave me a quick, startled look, but said nothing. She opened her wrap and I fitted the cast on one shoulder. It fitted well. Then I put the other half on her other shoulder and fixed the straps. Her throat was completely protected from an inch or so below her ears. The cast did not touch her neck and did not restrict movement. I was pretty proud of it.

“But I can’t spend the whole evening in this!” she gasped. “Ted would notice it.”

“You don’t have to,” I said. “I wanted to see if it fitted. Before you leave the club, go to the ladies’ room and put this on. I’ll have it ready and I’ll give it to you at the right time. He won’t notice it in the dark.”

“How sweet you are!” she said. “Did you really think of this yourself?”

“Don’t kid me,” I said, grinning. “You’re going into danger, and I don’t want anything to happen to you. With that you’ll be all right. They can hang you from the roof and you’ll just laugh at them.”

“I hope they won’t do any such thing,” Audrey returned. “Now, you run off, because I want to change. Take my neck with you.”

I unstrapped the cast, kissed her and went to my room, where Reg was lying on the bed, smoking.

“I’m getting the jitters,” he said, sitting up. “Where’ve you been and what have you got there?”

I told him about the cast.

“Holy mackerel!” he exclaimed. “That’s an idea. But you don’t honestly think they’ll try to strangle her, do you?”

I lit a cigarette. “If they don’t, then I’m on the wrong tack,” I said. “But I’m taking no chances.”

“You’ve got something more up your sleeve,” he said, regarding me suspiciously. “What else have you been up to?”

I grinned at him. “Plenty of time for that,” I said. “I promised Beyfield I’d have this case sewn up, and with luck I will. But it’s too early yet to tell you what’s cooking.”

He scowled. “All right, if you want to be mysterious,” he said, “but think of my nerves...”

“I’ll think of them,” I said, and glanced at my watch. It was a quarter to seven. Time was moving slowly. I sat down to wait. While I was waiting I checked through my plans and found them sound. There was nothing more I could do.

At seven o’clock Beyfield arrived. He looked animated and he actually grinned at both of us as he entered the room.

“We’re getting somewhere,” he said, sitting on the edge of the bed. “I’ve seen Latimer and we’re going to fix Wolf.”

“What did it cost you?” I asked, knowing Latimer.

He winked. “I’ve got friends,” he said. “There’s a guy in this town who wants the Cranville Gazette. By this time tomorrow Wolf will be glad to sell out.”

“Maybe you’ve even found another mayor?” I said, watching him closely.

“Maybe I have,” he returned, “but it depends on you. If you don’t pull this stunt of yours off tonight I’ll be in a hell of a jam.”

“I’ll pull it off,” I said. “How about a drink?”

He nodded. “I was going to suggest it,” he said. “What’s happening?”

I ’phoned down to the desk clerk and ordered drinks before I answered and then I told him that Audrey was meeting Ted Esslinger at Ciro’s club and the rest depended on Esslinger.

“So it is Ted Esslinger?” he said, shaking his head. “It’ll be a shock to his old man. I like Esslinger, but I don’t care much for the boy. He’s too fond of running around with the girls. At one time we had complaints, did you know that?”

I shook my head. “I heard he was wild, but I didn’t know he was vicious,” I said. “This boy Roger Kirk he goes around with might make a witness for the State.”

Beyfield grunted. “He’s as bad. Both of ’em have been heading for trouble for some time. In a small town like Cranville it’s difficult to hide things up, but they’ve been smart up to now. I guess they’ve picked the kind of girl who’s too scared to talk. One or two of ’em did complain, but Esslinger fixed it with Macey.” His face showed his disgust. “You can fix anything with Macey if you have enough dough.”

The drinks came and I made three highballs. As we were finishing them Audrey came in. She looked swell in her white linen coat and skirt and her cashmere white and blue sweater.

Beyfield eyed her with open admiration.

“Well, I like that!” she exclaimed. “You three guzzling whisky and nothing for me! After all, I’m the one who’s going to be strangled.”

“Don’t talk that way,” I retorted. “And I don’t like my wife to drink whisky. I’ll buy you a gin at the club.”

She shook her head sadly. “I’m beginning to wonder if I’m being wise marrying you,” she said, pouring a small whisky into my glass and adding soda. “Until I’m married, I’m doing what I like. When I’m married I might do what you like — if it’s reasonable.”

“I bet you look after your wife better than that,” I said to Beyfield.

“My wife?” he said with a snort. “I haven’t seen her for six years and I don’t care if I never see her again.”

“I’m sure Mrs. Beyfield feels exactly the same,” Audrey said, smiling at him.

“So you’re both bound to be happy.”

I looked at my watch, “I think we’ll go,” I said. “Take a taxi to the club,” I went on to Audrey. “We’ll be right behind the whole time. If Ted wants to take you some place, go with him. Before you leave the club, don’t forget this.” I tapped the box containing the plaster cast.

“I won’t,” she promised, and turning to the other two, she said: “I’m sure you won’t mind leaving me with my future husband for a moment. He might have other important but confidential things to say to me.”

Beyfield moved to the door with an embarrassed smirk. Reg followed him.

Five minutes later we joined them in the hotel lobby and Audrey left in a taxi. We called another taxi and followed on behind.

“That dame’s got guts,” Beyfield said suddenly as if he couldn’t contain himself any longer. “You’re a lucky guy to get a dame like that.”

“Don’t I know it,” I said soberly, meaning every word.

Ciro’s club was the only bright spot in Cranville. When we arrived, just after eight, we were in time to see Audrey walking up the broad stairs to the bar.

“Reg,” I said, “I want you to stick around outside. It’s just possible, if there’s a crowd in there, we’ll miss her. You keep the taxi waiting and watch out. Understand?”

He nodded and we left him.

The bar was crowded and Beyfield and I pushed our way with difficulty to the front. I ordered two large whiskies, and while waiting I glanced over the heads of the crowd.

Audrey was sitting at a table near the door. She was alone.

“He hasn’t turned up yet,” I said to Beyfield in a low voice. “I wonder if he’s got cold feet.”

The barman served us the whiskies, nodded to Beyfield, whom he knew, and went away to serve other drinks.

We left the bar and sat down at the far end of the room where we could see Audrey without being seen ourselves.

We waited five minutes and then I saw a bellhop go up to Audrey and speak to her.

“Something’s up,” I said to Beyfield. “You wait here. I’ll go over and see her.”

As I approached, the bellhop went away.

Audrey stood up. “He’s left a message,” she said, her eyes a little scared.

“He wants me to go to 49 Maddox Avenue, right away. Friends of his are having a party there.”

“Now we know,” I said. “That’s how he got the other girls to go to the house in Victoria Drive.” I waved to Beyfield, who quickly joined us.

“Where’s Maddox Avenue?” I asked.

“It lies at the back of Victoria Drive,” he said, staring at me. “Why?”

“Ted’s left a message for Audrey to join him there. He says friends of his are staging a party. The number of the house is forty-nine.”

“Wait here a moment,” Beyfield said, and lumbered off to a telephone.

He was back within five minutes and his beefy face showed his excitement.

“It’s an empty house,” he said. “I’ve ordered a bunch of boys to be ready to surround it as soon as we go in. It certainly looks like you’re on to something.”

I gave Audrey the box I had been carrying. “Get that on, kid, and let’s go.”

She drew a sharp breath. “It’s worse than having a tooth out,” she said, with a bad attempt to smile. “And won’t I be glad when it is over!”

We watched her go into the ladies’ room and then we went downstairs to wait in the taxi.

Maddox Avenue was a dimly lit street with houses on one side and a large vacant lot on the other. Across the lot was the smelting works. The houses were widely spaced like the teeth in an old man’s mouth and were grimed with years of sooty smoke. It was too dark to see much of their sordid appearance.

We all stood beside Audrey’s taxi for the final talk before she went on to the house.

“Beyfield and I’ll go first. We’ll keep out of sight in the garden,” I said. “Reg, you come on after the taxi’s arrived.”

Audrey, leaning out of the taxi window, said a little anxiously: “And what do I do?”

“When you reach the house, ring the bell and wait. If Ted comes to the door, go with him. We’ll be right after you,” I said. “Have you a gun?”

“Yes... it’s in my bag.”

“Well, don’t keep it there. Have it in your hand, but keep it out of sight. If things get sticky and we don’t get there fast enough — shoot. Beyfield won’t mind.”

All the time we were talking, the taxi-driver listened, openmouthed. “Sounds like you’re going to have a party,” he burst out. “Jeeze! This’ll be something to tell my old woman.”

Beyfield curtly told him to pipe down.

“All set?” I asked.

They nodded.

I squeezed Audrey’s hand. “Don’t be scared,” I said, and lowering my voice so only she could hear, I said: “I love you a lot.”

Then I left her and Beyfield and I walked up Maddox Avenue, keeping in the shadows.

Number 49 was the last house in the street. It stood alone in a large garden and it looked dark and deserted. We approached it cautiously, and when we were a short way from it I spotted a light shining in the lobby.

“See that,” I whispered to Beyfield. “He’s there, waiting for her.”

“Suppose we bust in and pinch him?” Beyfield asked. “I don’t like that young woman going in there alone.”

“Nor do I,” I said shortly. “But what else can we do? We must catch him red-handed.”

We had stopped now and we were peering through the hedge that surrounded the garden. The rest of the house except for the lobby was in darkness.

“We’ll try the back. Maybe we can get in that way,” I murmured.

“My men should be around by now,” Beyfield whispered. He looked at his watch. The luminous dial showed eight-fifty. “Mind how you go or they’ll bend a club over your skull.”

I stepped back. “Then you’d better go first,” I said. “Your head looks like it could stand it better than mine.”

He grunted and moved forward. I followed him around the back of the house. We hadn’t gone far before a man rose out of the darkness. I caught a faint gleam of silver buttons and Beyfield called to him.

“Anything happening, Sergeant?” he asked.

The police-sergeant shook his head. “We ain’t been here more than a couple of minutes,” he said. “There’s someone in the house, but we haven’t disturbed them.”

“How many men have you got?”

“Six. They’re spread around the garden. I’ve told ’em that anyone can enter the house, but no one must leave. That okay?”

“Sure.” Beyfield turned to me. “He’d better come with us, hadn’t he?”‘

“Okay, but no noise.”

We crept across the uneven ground to the back of the house. A cement path led up to the back door and as we walked softly forward we heard the taxi coming up the street.

I was nervous and my hands were shaking. I suddenly wanted to stop Audrey from going any further with this. It was only with a tremendous effort that I fought down my panic.

Beyfield was trying the back door.

“Locked,” he said, his lips against my ear.

I pushed him aside and examined the lock. It seemed a simple affair, and taking out my pocketknife I fiddled for a moment and then pushed open the door.

As I did so I heard the taxi stop outside the gate and a moment later a bell rang somewhere in the house.

I stepped into the kitchen and turned on my flashlight.

“She’s at the door now,” I murmured to Beyfield. “Give me a couple of minutes and then come after me. Leave the sergeant to guard the back door.”

He pressed my arm to show he understood and I went forward. I slid my hand inside my coat and eased the .38 police special from its holster.

The bell rang again, and as I opened the kitchen door, turning off my flashlight as I did so, I heard someone moving on the stairs.

I stood in the narrow, dark passage, my gun thrust forward, my heart hammering against my ribs, and waited. A shaded oil-lamp set high on the wall by the foot of the stairs shed a yellow light over the lobby.

A shadow appeared on the wall — a gaunt, crouching figure with long, thin hands and grotesque claw-like fingers. It moved swiftly and silently towards the front door. A moment later I saw it was Elmer Hench. He paused at the door, listened, and then jerked it open.

I heard Audrey catch her breath in a startled scream and then Hench’s bony fingers closed on her arm and pulled her inside. As she twisted away from him he closed the door and stood with his back against it.

“Good evening, Miss Sheridan,” he said, smiling at her.

In the flickering oil-lamp his gaunt, white face looked terrifying. Audrey baled away from him. She was so close to me, I could hear her quick, uneven breathing.

“Don’t be afraid, Miss Sheridan,” Hench said. “Ted’s waiting for you. He’s upstairs. All his friends are up there waiting for you. Go up and join them.”

Audrey stood as if paralysed.

Hench frowned at her and then his face writhed into a terrifying grin. “What are you waiting for?” he said, his bony fingers reaching out towards her and then drawing back. “Go up to Ted. He’s been waiting a long time for you.” He gave a smothered snigger. “He wants you.”

Very slowly, Audrey moved to the staircase. Not once did she take her eyes off Hench, who now stood motionless by the front door.

She put her foot on the first stair and then paused. I felt Beyfield breathing down my neck, but I didn’t look round. I was watching Audrey with intent concentration.

Then it happened. There was a faint swish. Audrey screamed. Her hands went to the rope that had encircled her throat. Then she was drawn slowly upwards. As her feet left the ground, Hench, making a soft, snarling noise like an animal, threw himself at her knees and hung.

Then a gun exploded by my ear end I was half blinded by the flash.

I blundered forward as Hench folded up silently on the floor. I caught Audrey round her waist, lifted her and took her weight off the rope. She was limp, and for a moment I had a horrible fear that we were too late.

Beyfield, who had fired at Hench, whipped the noose from her neck, and I heard her say: “It’s all right, Marc,” and then she began to sob. Reg and the police-sergeant came blundering up.

“Take care of her,” I said to Reg, and putting her into his arms I ran after Beyfield.

He waited for me at the head of the stairs.

“We’ve got him now,” he said, between his teeth. “He can’t get away. I’ve never seen anything to beat that.”

“You’ll see something better than that when I get my hands on the devil,” I said savagely.

We moved down the dark passage, our flashlights throwing two big spots ahead of us. There were doors along one side of the passage and I went into each room as we came to it, while Beyfield stood in the passage, his gun ready in case the killer dashed passed me.

We tackled room after room in that way. It was nervy work and slow. Each empty room brought us nearer to the killer, lurking in the darkness and listening to our steady approach.

Finally there was only one room left.

“We’ve got him,” Beyfield said, pushing me aside. “Come on out!” he shouted savagely. “Do you hear? Come on out with your hands in the air!”

There was a distinct movement inside the room.

“Come on out!” Beyfield roared again.

The police-sergeant and two cops came up and stood watching at the end of the passage. Their powerful flashlights lit up the worm-eaten door.

Steps crossed the room. Slow, light, undecided steps.

We raised our guns.

The door moved inwards and then was suddenly flung wide. Mrs. Esslinger stood looking at us, her lips in a hard line and her eyes like stones.

She wore the same black ill-fitting dress and on her head was a flat black hat covered with jet sequins. She stood staring at us and then suddenly she went into peal after peal of wild laughter.

We sat in the hotel lounge with drinks at our elbows and cigarettes burning. It was our last night in Cranville and we were all a little high.

Beyfield was positively beaming. Things were going well for him. Already he could see himself as Chief of Police. As soon as the story was published the Governor of the State was certain to demand an inquiry. Macey would have to go.

Beyfield raised his glass and, with tipsy dignity, saluted me. “You’re a great guy,” he said. “A guy of sterling worth — even if you are a private dick.”

I thanked him.

Audrey rested her head on my shoulder and smiled secretly at the ceiling. “It was a fluke,” she said softly. “A beautiful fluke. Now I know how to be a successful detective. All I have to do is to pick on an innocent man and hope for a fluke. Come on, darling, admit it, you did think it was Ted.”

I grinned. “Well, for a while I thought it was Ted, but then I changed my mind.” Seeing the look of outraged astonishment on her face, I went on hastily: “Okay, okay, I did think it was Ted, but I took the precaution to check up on Mrs. E. and her brother. Those two puzzled me. Anyway, how was I to know they were crazy? I haven’t lived all my life in this town like you... you can’t criticize.”

Latimer sat up and looked at me with slightly bleary eyes. “Don’t argue,” he pleaded. “I want to write this story and how the hell can I write it if I don’t know what it’s all about?”

Reg patted his arm. “You’re drunk,” he said happily. “Forget the story and have another drink.”

Latimer scowled at him. “Go away,” he growled. “A story’s a story to me no matter how drunk I am.” He looked over at me. “Tell me about it. The old dame was nuts, but that don’t explain everything.”

“It does if you think about it,” I said, playing with Audrey’s curls. “I got her case history from Colonel Forsberg. I didn’t like Mrs. E. and I thought it’d pay dividends to check up on her. And it did. She began life in a travelling rodeo show and she could handle a rope as well as any cowpuncher. Her father died in an asylum — he was a homicidal lunatic. So was she. She was put away when she was twenty but her brother got her out. They came East together and she married Esslinger. He didn’t know anything about her past. Her brother kept an eye on her and when she started to slip, he lived with her. That’s why Esslinger had to take him on as his manager. Esslinger knew by then, but he wasn’t man enough to put her away.”

Audrey sat up. “Where did you get all this from?” she demanded.

“That’s one of the great advantages of working for an organization like International Investigations. Forsberg dug it out for me,” I said. “Mrs. Esslinger had one obsession — her son. She was crazily jealous of him, and when he began to run around with girls she became deadly dangerous. Hench was crazy, but in a different way. He didn’t kill... he embalmed. When Mrs. E. started strangling Ted’s girlfriends. Hench had a swell time embalming them. He was smart enough to hide the bodies in the Esslinger family vault. But you know about that.”

Latimer nodded. “Sure,” he said. “Then there was nothing to the Street-Camera Studio?”

“I wouldn’t say that,” I returned. “In her crazy way, Mrs. E. was determined that Esslinger should be mayor. She saw a way of getting at Starkey through the Studio and she concentrated on the girls whose photos had appeared in the shop window. You remember I found Mary Drake’s handkerchief in the place? Well, I’ll bet Hench planted that in the hope that either I or Ted would find it. Ted was genuinely convinced that Starkey had something to do with the killings because his mother told him so.”

“And the girls — anything in the fact they were all blondes?”

I pulled Audrey closer to me. “Only that Ted preferred blondes, as I do. You can’t beat a nice blonde.”

“It’s a cinch,” Beyfield said, smiling at me. “Boy! Am I going to be pleased when I see Macey’s face tomorrow? I’ll skin that fat punk alive.”

“I can’t understand why Hench and Mrs. Esslinger should have tried to kill me after they knew we had found the bodies,” Audrey said. “You’d’ve thought they would have waited a while.”

“They were crazy — the pair of them,” I said. “We baited the trap and they couldn’t resist walking into it.”

“But where was Ted all the time?” Audrey asked. “Why didn’t he keep his date with me?”

“Mrs. E. fixed that. He told her he was going out with you and she saw her opportunity. She got Hench to call Ciro’s club and leave the message for you to meet Ted at Maddox Avenue. Then she delayed Ted from reaching you punctually and, of course, when he arrived you’d gone. I bet she pulled the same trick with the other girls.”

“That all?” Latimer asked, stubbing out his cigarette.

“I guess so. That’ll give you a swell story. Don’t forget to give Beyfield all the credit.”

Beyfield beamed.

“If you want a hand in putting that story together,” Reg said, “I’ll help you.”

Latimer got to his feet. “Come on then. We’ll get the story away and then we’ll make a night of it.”

“See you early tomorrow, Reg,” I called after him. “I’m catching the first train out.”

Beyfield finished his drink and stood up. “Well, I won’t keep you folks out of your beds,” he said, holding out his hand. “I’m almost sorry you’re going. The next time you come to Cranville, you’ll be surprised at the changes. With Macey and Wolf out of here, things will begin to smell sweet again.” He glanced over his shoulder and-then, lowering his voice, he whispered: “From the way things look I shouldn’t be surprised if McArthur isn’t made mayor. I’ve got a guy who’ll back him and he’s a smart little punk if he’s kept away from his wife,” He closed one eye and wavered unsteadily before us. “Well so long,” he said, beaming at us; “see you in church.”

He began an unsteady journey across the room, leaving us alone together.

“He’s quite nice really, isn’t he?” Audrey said, putting her hand in mine.

“A copper’s always nice if he’s getting something out of you,” I returned.

“Come on, sweetheart, let’s go to bed.”

She looked at me. “I know the joke’s on me,” she said, “but you remember you said Max Esslinger didn’t think I could crack the case — if he did say that, why did he hire me?”

I grinned at her. “Mrs. E. persuaded him against his better judgment,” I said, putting my arm round her, “She thought with you on the case—”

“That’s enough from you,” Audrey broke in hastily, “and don’t you dare laugh.”

I pulled her to me and kissed her.