by the Jury I
“Where is the exit?” I cut in.
“Under the stairs. A button that works the panel is built into the woodwork.”
I thought back fast. “All right, so you saw the cops coming. If you ran for the stairs the killer would have been coming down as you ran out. Who was it?”
“I didn’t see anybody, I tell you! Oh, why don’t you let me alone!” Her nerve broke and she sank into the chair with her face buried in her hands.
“Take her out,” Pat directed the two detectives. He looked at me. “What do you make of it?”
“Reasonable enough,” I told him. “She saw us coming and beat it. But the killer had a little luck. We broke in about two minutes after the shooting. The rooms are soundproofed and no one heard the shots. The killer probably figured on mixing with the crowd and leaving when the show was over or before, if there was nobody at the door. He was coming down the stairs and heard us.
“However, when the madam made a run for it those plans had to be tossed overboard. He ducked back long enough so the old hag didn’t see him and followed her through the secret panel. When we examine it I’ll bet we find that it doesn’t close very fast. We ran upstairs, you remember, and the others took care of the guests. The way we set the road block, the killer had time to get away before the policemen could take their places. We were in a hurry and didn’t have a chance to plan this thing.”
I proved to be right. We went back to the house and looked for the panel. It was right where she said it was. The thing wasn’t too cleverly contrived. The button was built into the heart of a carved flower. It activated a one sixteenth horsepower motor connected to the electric circuit with a cutoff and a reverse. Pat and I entered the passage. Light seeping through the cracks in the wall was all we needed. When the place was redecorated this was built in. It ran back ten feet, took a sharp left turn and steps led down to the basement. There we were between walls. A door led into the basement of the house next door. When it was closed it looked like a part of the wall.
It was a safe bet that the people in the house didn’t know that it was there themselves. The rest was easy. Out the basement door to an open yard that led to the street. The time consumed was less than a minute. We went through the passageway with a searchlight, not skipping an inch, but there wasn’t a clue to be found. Generally when someone was in haste he could be counted on to lose something or mark a trail. But no such luck. We went back to the waiting room and pulled out a smoke.
“Well?”
“Well what, Pat?”
“Well, I guess you were right about the timing,” he laughed.
“Looks that way. What did you get on Kines’ past, if anything?”
“Reports from twenty-seven schools so far. He never spent more than a semester anywhere except at this last place. More often a month was enough. When he left there were several girls who’d dropped from the school too. Add it up and you get a nice tally. We’ve had a dozen men on the phone all day and they’re not half finished yet.”
I thought that over and cursed Hal before I said, “What did he have in his pockets when the boys went over him?”
“Nothing much. Fifty some in bills, a little loose change, a driver’s license and an owner’s certificate for his car. There were some club cards, too, but of the school. He went around clean. We found his car. It was empty except for a pair of silk panties in the glove compartment. By the way, how did he get in here if you had your eyes open?”
I dragged on the butt, thinking over those that came in here. “Got me. He never came alone, that’s a sure thing. The only way he could have done it was to impersonate someone by stuffing pillows or something under his jacket, or ...” I snapped my fingers. “Now I remember. A crowd of six or more came in and they blocked out a few others that were behind them. They all mingled at the foot of the steps and came in together to get off the street as fast as they could.”
“Was he alone?” Pat waited anxiously for my answer.
I had to shake my head. “I can’t say, Pat. It does seem funny that he would come in here deliberately with the murderer, knowing that he was going to get knocked off.”
The afternoon was running into evening and we decided to call it a day. Pat and I separated outside and I drove home to clean up. The case was beginning to get on my nerves. It was like trying to get through a locked door with a bulldog tearing at you.
So far I had investigated a lot of angles; now I had one more to go. I wanted to find out about that strawberry mark on a certain twin’s hip.
I had my dinner sent up from a place down at the comer and polished off a quart of beer with it. It was nearly nine when I put in a call to the Bellemy apartment. A soft voice answered.
“Miss Bellemy?”
“Yes.”
“This is Mike Hammer.”
“Oh,” she hesitated a second, then. “Yes?”
“Is this Mary or Esther?”
“Esther Bellemy. What can I do for you, Mr. Hammer?”
“Can I see you this evening?” I asked. “I have some questions I’d like to ask you.”
“Can’t they be asked over the phone?”
“Hardly. It would take too long. May I come up?”
“All right. I’ll be waiting.”
I thanked her and said good-bye, then climbed into my coat and went downstairs to my car.
Esther was the replica of her sister. If there was a difference, I couldn’t see it. I hadn’t taken time to look for any the first time I met them. Probably all in the personality. Mary was strictly a nymphomaniac, now let’s see how this sister was.
She greeted me cordially enough. She was wearing a dinner dress that was a simple thing, cunningly revealing the lovely lines of her body. Like Mary, she too had a tan and the appearance of having led an athletic life. Her hair was different. Esther had hers rolled up into a fashionable upsweep. That was the only thing I objected to. With me, a girl in upswept hair looks like she needs a pail and mop, ready to swab down the kitchen floor. But the way she was otherwise built more than made up for that objection.
I took a seat on the divan I had before. Esther went to a cabinet and took out glasses and a bottle of Scotch. When she came back with the ice and had the drinks poured she said, “What is it you wanted me to tell you, Mr. Hammer?”
“Call me Mike,” I said politely. “I’m not used to formalities.”
“Very well, Mike.” We settled back with the drinks.
“How well did you know Jack?”
“Casually. It was a friendship that comes with constantly meeting after an introduction, but not an intimate one.”
“And George Kalecki? How well did you know him?”
“Not well at all. I didn’t like him.”
“Your sister gave me the same impression. Did he ever make a pass at you?”
“Don’t be silly.” She thought a moment before continuing.
“He was grouchy about something the night of the party. Hardly sociable, I’d say. He didn’t strike me as being a gentleman. There was something about his manner that was repulsive.”
“That isn’t unusual. He was a former racketeer. Still active in some circles, too.”
When she crossed her legs I couldn’t think of anything more to ask her. Why don’t women learn to keep their skirts low enough to keep men from thinking the wrong things? Guess that’s why they wear them short.
Esther saw my eyes following the outlines of her legs and made the same old instinctive motion of covering up. It didn’t do a bit of good. “On with the game,” she told me.
“What do you do for a living, if you don’t mind?” I knew the answer already, but asked it just to have something to say.
Her eyes glittered impishly. “We have a private income from stock dividends. Father left us his share in some mills down South. Why, are you looking for a rich wife?”
I raised my eyebrows. “No. But if I were I’d be up here more often. What about your home? You have quite an estate, haven’t you?”<
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“About thirty acres in lawn and ten in second-growth woods. A twenty-two-room house sits right in the middle surrounded by a swimming pool, several tennis courts and generally a round dozen ardent swains who never tire of telling me how lovely I am just to get their paws on half of it.”
I whistled. “Hell, someone told me you occupied a modest residence.” Esther laughed gaily, the sound coming from deep in her throat. With her head tilted back like that she gave me the full view of her breasts. They were as alive as she was.
“Would you like to visit me sometime, Mike?”
I didn’t have to think that over. “Sure. When?”
“This Saturday. I’m having quite a few up there to see a tennis match under lights at night. Myrna Devlin is coming. Poor girl, it’s the least I can do for her. She’s been so broken up since Jack died.”
“That’s an idea. I’ll drive her up. Anybody else coming that I know?”
“Charlotte Manning. No doubt you’ve met her.”
“No doubt,” I grinned.
She saw what I meant and wiggled a finger at me. “Don’t get any ideas like that, Mike.”
I tried to suppress a smile. “How am I going to have any fun in a twenty-two-room house if I don’t get ideas?” I teased her.
The laugh in her eyes died out and was replaced by something else. “Why do you think I’m asking you up as my guest?” she said.
I put my drink down on the coffee table, then circled it and sat down beside her. “I don’t know, why?”
She put her arms around my neck and pulled my mouth down close to hers. “Why don’t you find out?”
Her mouth met mine, her arms getting tighter behind me. I leaned on her heavily, letting my body caress hers. She rubbed her face against mine, breathing hotly on my neck. Whenever I touched her she trembled. She worked a hand free and I heard snaps on her dress opening. I kissed her shoulders, the tremble turned into a shudder. Once she bit me, her teeth sinking into my neck. I held her tighter and her breathing turned into a gasp. She was squirming against me, trying to release the passion that was inside her.
My hand found the pull cord on the lamp beside the divan and the place was in darkness. Just the two of us. Little sounds. No words. There wasn’t need for any. A groan once or twice. The rustle of the cushions and the rasping sound of fingernails on broadcloth. The rattle of a belt buckle and the thump of a shoe kicked to the floor. Just the breathing, the wetness of a kiss.
Then silence.
After a bit I turned the light back on. I let my eyes rove. “What a little liar you are,” I laughed.
She pouted. “Why do you say that?”
“No strawberry mark—Mary.”
She gave another chuckle and pulled my hair down in my face. “I thought you’d be interested enough to go looking for it.”
“I ought to swat you.”
“Where?”
“Forget it. You’d probably like it.”
I got up from the divan and poured a drink while Mary readjusted herself. She took the drink from me and polished it off in one gulp. I reached for my hat as I rose to leave. “Does that date still hold for Saturday?” I asked.
“Damn well told,” she smirked, “and don’t be late.”
I sat up late that night with a case of beer. We were coming around the turn into the home stretch now. With a spare pack of butts and the beer handy, I parked in the overstuffed rocker by the open windows and thought the thing out. Three murders so far. The killer still on the loose.
Mentally, I tried to list the things that were still needed to clean up the case. First, what did Jack have that caused his death? Was it the books, or something else? Why did Hal die? Did he go to that house to kill her, to threaten her, to warn her? If the killer was someone I knew how did he follow him in without me seeing him? Plenty to go over here. Lots of probable answers. Which was right?
And George Kalecki. Why was he on the loose? If he had no part in it there was no reason for him to lam. Why did he shoot at me—just because he knew I was after the killer? Possible, and very probable. He had every reason to be the one.
There wasn’t a single person at the party who didn’t have the opportunity to kill Jack. But motive was another thing. Who had that? Myrna? —I’d say no. Purely sentimental reasons.
Charlotte? Hell, no. More sentimental reasons. Besides, her profession didn’t go with crime. She was a doctor. Only a casual friend of Jack’s through Myrna’s sickness. No motive there.
The twins, how about them? One a nymphomaniac, the other I never studied. Plenty of money, no troubles that I knew about. Where did they fit? Did Esther have a motive? Have to find out more about her. And the strawberry mark. Could Mary have been snubbed by Jack? Possible. The way she was, her passions could get the better of her. Could she have made a play for Jack, been rebuffed, then taken it out in murder? If so, why take the books?
Hal Kines. He’s dead.
Eileen Vickers. Dead. Too late to do anything about it now.
Could there be two murderers? Could Hal have killed Jack, then killed Eileen, and been in turn killed with his own gun there in the room? A great possibility, except that there was no sign of a struggle. Eileen’s nude body. Was she professionally prepared to receive a visitor and surprised when her old lover walked in! Why? Why? Why?
Where was the secret to all this hidden? Who did it? It wasn’t in Kalecki’s apartment; not in Jack’s, unless I couldn’t read signs any more.
Was there an outsider?
Hell. I finished another bottle of beer and set the empty down at my feet. I was slowing up. Couldn’t think any more. I wish I knew just where George Kalecki came in. That tie-up would prove important. To me, it looked as if the next step would be to find him. If Hal were alive ...
I cut my thoughts short and slapped my leg. Damn, how could I be so simple. Hal hadn’t operated out of the city. He had been going to school. If he had any record of his operations they were there. And that might be exactly what I needed.
As quickly as I could, I dressed. When I had my coat on I shoved an extra clip of cartridges in my pocket and phoned the garage to bring my car around.
It was almost midnight, and a sleepy attendant drove up as soon as I got downstairs. I stuffed a dollar bill into his hand, hopped in and pulled away. Luckily, there was no traffic to worry about this time of night. I beat out a few lights and turned on the West Side Express Highway and headed north. Pat had told me the town the college was in. Ordinarily it was a good three hours’ drive from the city, but I didn’t intend to take that long.
Twice the highway patrol came out of a cutoff after me, but they didn’t stay with my overpowered load very long. I was a little afraid that they might radio ahead to try to throw up a road block to stop me, but nothing happened.
The signs told me when to turn and I got on an unkept country road that had so many ruts I had to slow down, but when the counties changed, so did the road. It changed into a smooth macadam, and I made the rest of the trip going full out.
Packsdale was five miles ahead. The chamber of commerce sign said it was a town of thirty thousand and the county seat. Huba huba. The college wasn’t hard to find. It sat on a hill a mile north of town. Here and there some lights were lit, probably those in the corridors. I slammed on the brakes in time to swing into a gravel drive and roll up to an impressive-looking two-story house squatting a hundred feet back on the campus. The guy must have been in the army. Along the drive he had a yellow and black sign that read: “Mr. Russell Hilbar, Dean of Men.”
The house was completely blacked-out, but that didn’t stop me. I put my finger on the bell and never took it off until the lights blazed up in the place and I could hear footsteps hurrying to the door. The butler stood there with his mouth open. He had thrown on his working jacket on top of a nightshirt. Most ridiculous sight I ever saw. Instead of waiting to be admitted and announced, I pushed into the room and nearly knocked over a tall distinguished guy in a maroon dressing rob
e.
“What is this, sir? Who are you?”
I flashed my badge and he squinted at it. “Mike Hammer, Investigator from New York.”
“Aren’t you out of your territory?” he stormed. “What do you want?”
“You had a student here named Harold Kines, didn’t you? I want to see his room.”
“I’m afraid that’s impossible. Our county police are handling the affair. I’m sure they are capable. Now if you’ll please ...”
I didn’t let him go any further. “Listen, buddy,” I pounded on his chest with a stiffened forefinger, “it’s quite possible that right now there’s a murderer loose on this campus. If he isn’t a murderer he’s liable to be one if you don’t use your knob and tell me where I can find the room. And if you don’t,” I added, “I’ll smack you so hard you’ll spill your insides all over the joint!”
Russell Hilbar backed up and grabbed the edge of a chair for support. His face had gone pasty white and he looked ready to faint. “I—I never thought . . .” he stammered, “. . . Mr. Kines’ room is on the lower floor in the east wing. The room number is 107, right on the southeast corner. But the county police have closed it pending a further investigation and I have no key.”
“The hell with the county police. I’ll get in. Turn these lights off and don’t move out of the house. And stay away from the phone.”
“But the students—will they ... ?”
“I’ll take care of them,” I said as I closed the door.
Outside I had to orientate myself to find the east wing. I picked a low rectangular building out to be the dorms and I wasn’t wrong. The grass muffled any sounds I made, and I crept up on the corner of the wing. I prayed silently that my hunch wasn’t wrong and that I wasn’t too late. As much as possible, I stayed in the shadows, working my way behind the bushes set against the wall.
The window was shoulder high, and down all the way. I took off my hat and put my ear close to the pane, but I couldn’t detect any sound from inside. I took the chance. My fingers went under the sash and I pushed the window up. It slid without a creak. I jumped, and pulled myself into the room, then slid off the sill and landed on my face.