Calamity Town

Burnt Offering

“Jim is planning to murder Nora.”

Ellery set the book upon the shelf. With his back to Pat, he said: “Nonsense.”

“You saw the letters yourself! You read them!”

Mr. Queen sighed. They went downstairs in the dark, his arm about her waist.

Outside, there was the old moon and a stencil of cold stars. Pat shivered against him, and his clasp tightened. They drifted across the silver lawn and came to rest beneath the tallest elm.

“Look at the sky,” said Ellery, “and tell me that again.”

“Don’t feed me philosophy! Or poetry. This is the good old U.S.A. in the Year of Our Madness nineteen-forty. Jim is insane. He must be!” She began to cry.

“The human mind¯” began Mr. Queen, and he stopped. He had been about to say that the human mind was a curious and wonderful instrument. But it occurred to him in time that this was a two-way phrase, a Delphic hedge. The fact was . . . it looked bad. Very bad.

“Nora’s in danger,” sobbed Pat. ”Ellery, what am I going to do?”

“Time may spade up some bones of truth, Patty.”

“But I can’t take this alone! Nora¯you saw how Nora took it. Ellery, she was scared green. And then . . . just as if nothing had happened. She’s decided already, don’t you see? She’s decided not to believe it. If you waved those letters under her nose, Nora wouldn’t admit anything now! Her mind opened for just a second; now it’s shut down tight, and she’d lie to God.”

“Yes,” said Ellery, and his arms comforted her.

“He was so much in love with her! You saw it all happen. You saw the look on his face that night when they came downstairs to say they were going to be married. Jim was happy. When they got back from their honeymoon, he seemed even happier.” Pat whispered: “Maybe he has gone mad. Maybe that’s been the whole thing all along. A dangerous maniac!”

Ellery said nothing.

“How can I tell Mother? Or my father? It would kill them, and it wouldn’t do any good. And yet¯I’ve got to!”

A car throbbed up the Hill in the darkness.

“You’re letting your emotions get in the way of your thinking, Pat,” said Ellery. ”A situation like this calls for observation and caution. And a disciplined tongue.”

“I don’t understand . . . ”

“One false accusation, and you might wreck the lives not only of Jim and Nora, but of your father and mother, too.”

“Yes . . . And Nora waited so long¯”

“I said there’s time. There is. We’ll watch, and we’ll see, and meanwhile it will be a secret between us . . . Did I say ‘we’?” Ellery sounded rueful. ”It seems I’ve declared myself in.”

Pat gasped. ”You wouldn’t back out now? I took it for granted. I mean, I’ve counted on you from that first awful moment. Ellery, you’ve got to help Nora! You’re trained to this sort of thing. Please don’t go away!” Pat shook him.

“I just said ‘we,’ didn’t I?” said Ellery, almost irritably. There was something wrong. A sound had gone wrong somewhere. A sound that had stopped. A car? Had that been a car before? It hadn’t passed . . . ”Cry it out now; but when it’s over, it’s over. Do you understand?” And now he shook her.

“Yes,” wept Pat. ”I’m a snuffling fool. I’m sorry.”

“You’re not a fool, but you must be a heroine. No word, no look, no attitude. As far as the rest of Wrightsville is concerned, those letters don’t exist. Jim is your brother-in-law, and you like him, and you’re happy about him and Nora.” She nodded against his shoulder. ”We mustn’t tell your father or mother or Frank Lloyd or¯”

Pat raised her head. ”Or whom?”

“No,” said Ellery with a frown. ”I can’t make that decision for you, too.”

“You mean Cart,” said Pat steadily.

“I mean the Prosecutor of Wright County.”

Pat was silent. Ellery was silent. The moon was lower now, its bosom ruffled with slate flounces of cloud.

“I couldn’t tell Carter,” murmured Pat. ”It never even occurred to me. I can’t tell you why. Maybe it’s because he’s connected with the police. Maybe it’s because he’s not in the family¯”

“I’m not in the family, either,” said Mr. Queen.

“You’re different!”

Despite himself, Mr. Queen experienced a chill of pleasure. But his voice was impersonal. ”At any rate, you’ve got to be my eyes and ears, Pat. Stay with Nora as much as possible without arousing her suspicions. Watch Jim without seeming to. Report everything that happens. And whenever possible, you must work me into your family gatherings. Is all that clear?”

Pat actually smiled up at him. ”I was being silly. Now it doesn’t seem half so bad, with you under this tree, and the moonlight touching that flat plane of your right cheek . . . You’re very handsome, you know, Ellery¯”

“Then why in hell,” growled a male voice from the darkness, “don’t you kiss him?”

“Cart!” Pat snuggled against the black chest of the elm.

They could hear Bradford breathing somewhere near¯breathing short deep ones.

Too absurd, thought Mr. Queen. A man of logic should evade such encirclements by chance. But at least it cleared up the minor irritation of the sound-that-had-stopped. It had been Carter Bradford’s car.

“Well, he is handsome,” said Pat’s voice from the tree trunk. Ellery grinned to himself.

“You lied to me,” cried Carter. He materialized: no hat and his chestnut hair angry. ”Don’t hide in a bush, Pat!”

“I’m not hiding,” said Pat peevishly, “and it isn’t a bush, it’s a tree.” She came out of the darkness, too; and they faced each other with punctilio.

Mr. Queen watched with silent enjoyment.

“You told me over the phone that you had a headache!”

“Yes.”

“You said you were going to bed!”

“I am.”

“Don’t quibble!”

“Why not? You raise such unimportant points, Mr. Bradford.”

Carter’s arms flapped under the unfriendly stars. ”You lied to get rid of me. You didn’t want me around. You had a date with this scribbler! Don’t deny it!”

“I do deny it.” Pat’s voice softened. ”I did lie to you, Cart, but I didn’t have a date with Ellery.”

“That,” remarked Mr. Queen from his observation post, “happens to be the truth.”

“Stick your two cents out, Smith!” shouted Carter. ”I’m trying to keep my temper, or I’d drape you over the lawn!”

Mr. ”Smith” grinned and held his peace.

“All right, so I’m jealous,” muttered Cart. ”But you don’t have to be a sneak, Pat! If you don’t want me, say so.”

“This has nothing to do with my wanting you or not wanting you,” said Pat in a timid-turtle voice.

“Well, do you or don’t you?”

Pat’s eyes fell. ”You’ve no right to ask me that¯here¯now.” Her eyes flashed up. ”You wouldn’t want a sneak, anyway, would you?”

“All right! Have it your way!”

“Cart . . . !”

His voice came back in a bellow of defiance. ”I’m through!”

Pat ran off toward the big white house.

Thought Mr. Queen as he watched her slim figure race across the lawn: In a way it’s better . . . much better. You don’t know what you’re in for. And Mr. Carter Bradford, when you meet him next, may very well be an enemy.

* * *

When Ellery returned from his pre-breakfast walk the next morning, he found Nora and her mother whispering on the Wright porch.

“Good morning!” he said cheerfully. ”Enjoy the lecture last night?”

“It was very interesting.” Nora looked distressed, and Hermione preoccupied, so Ellery began to go into the house.

“Mr. Smith,” said Hermy. ”Oh, dear, I don’t know how to say it! Nora dear¯”

“Ellery, what happened here last night?” asked Nora.

“Happened?” Ellery looked blank.

“I mean with Pat and Carter. You were home¯”

“Is anything wrong with Pat?” asked Ellery quickly.

“Of course there is. She won’t come down to breakfast. She won’t answer any questions. And when Pat sulks¯”

“It’s Carter’s fault,” Hermy burst out. ”I thought there was something queer about her ‘headache’ last night! Please, Mr. Smith, if you know anything about it¯if something happened after we went to Town Hall last night which her mother ought to know¯”

“Has Pat broken off with Cart?” asked Nora anxiously. ”No, you don’t have to answer, Ellery. I can see it in your face. Mother, you’ll simply have to give Patty a talking-to. She can’t keep doing this sort of thing to Cart.”

Ellery walked Nora back to the little house. As soon as they were out of earshot of Mrs. Wright, Nora said: “Of course you had something to do with it.”

“I?” asked Mr. Queen.

“Well . . . don’t you agree Pat’s in love with Carter? I’m sure you could help by not making Carter jealous¯”

“Mr. Bradford,” said Mr. Queen, “would be jealous of a postage stamp Patty licked.”

“I know. He’s so hotheaded, too! Oh, dear.” Nora sighed. ”I’m making a mess of it. Will you forgive me? And come in to breakfast?”

“Yes to both questions.” And as he helped Nora up the porch steps, he wondered just how guilty he really was.

* * *

Jim was full of political talk, and Nora . . . Nora was wonderful. No other word for it, thought Ellery. Watching and listening, he could detect no least tinkle of falsity. They seemed so much like two young people luxuriating in the blessedness of early marriage that it was a temptation to dismiss the incidents of the previous evening as fantasy.

Pat arrived, with Alberta and eggs, in a rush.

“Nora! How nice,” she said, as if nothing at all had happened. ”Can you spare a starving gal an egg or two? Morning, Jim! Ellery! Not that Ludie didn’t have breakfast for me. She did. But I just felt that nosy impulse to look in on the lovebirds . . . ”

“Alberta, another setting,” said Nora, and she smiled at Pat. ”You do talk in the morning! Ellery, sit down. The honeymoon being over, my husband doesn’t rise for my family anymore.”

Jim stared. ”Who¯Patso?” He grinned. ”Say, you are grown-up! Let me look. Yep. A real glamour girl. Smith, I envy you. If I were a bachelor¯”

Ellery saw the swift cloud darken Nora’s face. She pressed more coffee on her husband.

Pat kept chattering. She wasn’t a very good actress¯couldn’t look Jim in the eye. Heroic, though. Remembering instructions in the midst of her own troubles . . .

But Nora was superb. Yes, Pat had been right. Nora had decided not to think about the letters or their horrible implication. And she was using the minor crisis of Pat and Cart to help her not to think.

“I’ll fix your eggs myself, darling,” said Nora to Pat. ”Alberta’s a jewel, but how could she know you like four-minute coddling, to the second? Excuse me.” Nora left the dining room to join Alberta in the kitchen.

“That Nora,” chuckled Jim. ”She’s a real hen. Say! What time is it?

I’ll be late at the bank. Patty, you been crying? You’re talking sort of funny, too. Nora!” he shouted. ”Didn’t the mail come yet?”

“Not yet!” Nora called from the kitchen.

“Who, me?” said Pat feebly. ”Don’t¯don’t be a goop, Jim.”

“All right, all right,” said Jim, laughing. ”So it’s none of my damn business. Ah! There’s Bailey now. ‘Scuse!”

Jim hurried out to the foyer to answer the postman’s ring. They heard him open the front door; they heard old Mr. Bailey’s cracked “Mornin’, Mr. Haight,” Jim’s joshing response, the little slam of the door, and Jim’s slow returning footsteps, as if he were shuffling through the mail as he came back.

Then he walked into the field of their vision and stopped, and they saw him staring at one of the several envelopes the postman had just delivered. His face was liverish.

And then he vaulted upstairs. They heard his feet pound on the carpeting and a moment later a door bang.

Pat was gaping at the spot Jim had just vacated.

“Eat your cereal,” said Ellery.

Pat flushed and bent quickly over her plate.

Ellery got up and walked without noise to the foot of the staircase. After a moment he returned to the breakfast table.

“He’s in his study, I think. Heard him lock the door . . . No! Not now. Here’s Nora.”

Pat choked over her Crackle-Crunch.

“Where’s Jim?” asked Nora as she set the eggs before her sister.

“Upstairs,” said Ellery, reaching for the toast.

“Jim?”

“Yes, Nora.” Jim reappeared on the stairs; he was still pale, but rigidly controlled. He had his coat on and carried several unopened letters of assorted sizes.

“Jim! Is anything wrong?”

“Wrong?” Jim laughed. ”I never saw such a suspicious woman! What the devil should be wrong?”

“I don’t know. But you look so pale¯”

Jim kissed her. ”You ought to’ve been a nurse! Well, got to be going. Oh, by the way. Here’s the mail. The usual junk. Bye, Patty! Smith! See you soon.” Jim raced out.

After breakfast Ellery said something about “strolling in the woods” behind the house and excused himself.

A half hour later Pat joined him. She came hurrying through the underbrush with a Javanese scarf tied around her head, looking back over her shoulder as if someone were chasing her.

“I thought I’d never get away from Nora,” Pat panted. She dropped to a stump. ”Whoo!”

Ellery blew smoke thoughtfully. ”Pat, we’ve got to read that letter Jim just received.”

“Ellery . . . where’s this all going to end?”

“It stirred Jim up tremendously. Can’t be coincidence. Somehow this morning’s letter ties in with the rest of this puzzle. Can you lure Nora out of the house?”

“She’s going to High Village this morning with Alberta to do some shopping. There’s the station wagon! I’d recognize that putt-putt in Detroit.”

Mr. Queen ground out his cigarette carefully. ”All right, then,” he said.

Pat kicked a twig. Her hands were trembling. Then she sprang off the stump. ”I feel like a skunk,” she moaned. ”But what else can we do?”

* * *

“I doubt if we’ll find anything,” said Ellery as Pat let him into Nora’s house with her duplicate key. ”Jim locked the door when he ran upstairs. He didn’t want to be caught doing . . . whatever it was he did.”

“You think he destroyed the letter?”

“Afraid so. But we’ll have a look, anyway.”

In Jim’s study, Pat set her back against the door. She looked ill.

Ellery sniffed. And went directly to the fireplace. It was clean except for a small mound of ash.

“He burned it!” said Pat.

“But not thoroughly enough.”

“Ellery, you’ve found something!”

“A scrap that wasn’t consumed by the fire.”

Pat flew across the room. Ellery was examining a scrap of charred paper very carefully.

“Part of the envelope?”

“The flap. Return address. But the address has been burned off. Only thing left is the sender’s name.”

Pat read: “ ‘Rosemary Haight.’ Jim’s sister.” Her eyes widened. ”Jim’s sister, Rosemary! Ellery, the one he wrote those three letters to about Nora!”

“It’s possible that¯” Ellery did not finish.

“You were going to say it’s possible there was a first letter we didn’t find, because he’d already sent it! And that this is the remains of his sister’s answer.”

“Yes.” Ellery tucked the burnt scrap away in his wallet. ”But on second thought I’m not so sure. Why should his sister’s reply bother him so much, if that’s what it is? No, Patty, this is something different, something new.”

“But what?”

“That,” said Mr. Queen, “is what we’ve got to find out.” He took her arm, looking about. ”Let’s get out of here.”

* * *

That night they were all sitting on the Wright porch watching the wind blow the leaves across the lawn. John F. and Jim were debating the presidential campaign with some heat, while Hermy anxiously appeased and Nora and Pat listened like mice. Ellery sat by himself in a corner, smoking.

“John, you know I don’t like these political arguments!” said Hermy. ”Goodness, you men get so hot under the collar¯”

John F. grunted. ”Jim, there’s dictatorship coming in this country, you mark my words¯”

Jim grinned. ”And you’ll eat ‘em . . . A// right, Mother!” Then he said casually: “Oh, by the way, darling, I got a letter from my sister, Rosemary, this morning. Forgot to tell you.”

“Yes?” Nora’s tone was bright. ”How nice. What does she write, dear?”

Pat drifted toward Ellery and in the darkness sat down at his feet. He put his hand on her neck; it was clammy.

“The usual stuff. She does say she’d like to meet you¯all of you.”

“Well, I should think so!” said Hermy. ”I’m very anxious to meet your sister, Jim. Is she coming out for a visit?”

“Well . . . I was thinking of asking her, but¯”

“Now, Jim,” said Nora. ”You know I’ve asked you dozens of times to invite Rosemary to Wrightsville.”

“Then it’s all right with you, Nor?” asked Jim quickly.

“All right!” Nora laughed. ”What’s the matter with you? Give me her address, and I’ll drop her a note tonight.”

“Don’t bother, darling. I’ll write her myself.”

When they were alone, a half hour later, Pat said to Ellery: “Nora was scared.”

“Yes. It’s a poser.” Ellery circled his knees with his arms. ”Of course, the letter that stirred Jim up this morning was the same letter he just said he got from his sister.”

“Ellery, Jim’s holding something back.”

“No question about it.”

“If his sister, Rosemary, just wrote about wanting to come out for a visit, or anything as trivial as that . . . why did Jim burn her letter?”

Mr. Queen kept the silence for a long time. Finally he mumbled: “Go to bed, Patty. I want to think.”

* * *

On November the eighth, four days after Franklin Delano Roosevelt had been elected to the Presidency of the United States for a third term, Jim Haight’s sister came to Wrightsville.