The Black Lizard Big Book of Pulps

by Penzler, Otto

  Leith grinned.

  “Aided in that deduction, of course, Scuttle, by the chauffeur’s statement.”

  “Yes, sir, I suppose so, sir. But Mainwaring and the nurse both thought he was a native of Southern India, you’ll remember, sir.”

  Lester Leith held up his hand for silence. “Wait a minute, Scuttle; I want to think.”

  For several seconds he sat rigid in the chair, his face an expressionless mask, his eyes slitted in thought. The valet-spy, his big form perched on the edge of the chair, regarded Lester Leith thoughtfully.

  Suddenly Lester Leith said: “Scuttle, let me have the telephone book, and find out what trains pull out of the Ninety-third Street Station between seven and nine thirty in the evening. Get me the information at once.”

  “Very good, sir,” the spy said, vanishing in the direction of the soundproof closet in which the telephone was housed.

  Five minutes later, he was back with the information. “A train leaving the central depot at seven twenty, sir, stops at Ninety-third Street at seven fifty, at Belting Junction at eight ten, at Robbinsdale at eight thirty, and at Beacon City at nine thirty. After that, it becomes a limited train and makes no stops until after midnight. Those other stops are merely for the purpose of taking on suburban passengers.”

  Leith said: “Very well, Scuttle. Plug in the telephone extension, and put the desk phones over here.”

  When the spy had done so, Lester Leith called the baggageman at Belting Junction, and said: “Hello, I’m trying to trace a suitcase which was checked through on the train which leaves Central Depot at seven twenty in the evening. This suitcase went forward on the evening of the thirteenth, and has not been claimed. I have reason to believe it was checked to your depot.”

  “Who is this talking?” the baggageman asked.

  “This is the claim adjuster’s office,” Leith said. “Shake a leg.”

  “Just a minute,” the baggageman said. And then after a few moments, he reported, “No, there’s no such suitcase here.”

  “Thank you,” Leith said, and hung up.

  He called the station agent at Robbinsdale, made the same statement, and secured the same answer. But at Beacon City, the situation was different. The baggageman said:

  “Yeah, we’ve got a suitcase here. It came on that train, and has never been called for. I’ve been charging storage on it at the rate of ten cents for every twenty-four hours, after it was uncalled for forty-eight hours. What do you want me to do with it?”

  “Describe the suitcase,” Leith said.

  “Well, it’s cheap, split-leather suitcase, tan, with straps. It’s rather large.”

  “Any initials on it?” Leith said.

  “Yes, there are the initials A.B.C. in black on both ends of the suitcase.”

  “Well,” Leith said, “a man will probably call for it tomorrow. He won’t have his claim check. Make him deposit a bond of fifty dollars and describe the contents, then give him the suitcase.”

  “It’ll be all right to give it to him if he doesn’t have the check?” the baggage agent asked.

  “Yes, if he describes the contents, and if he puts up a fifty-dollar bond. The check’s been lost, and this party claims the baggageman here put a wrong check on it. I don’t think he did, but anyhow we’ve located the suitcase, and that’s all that’s necessary. He’ll be out tomorrow. In the meantime you open the suitcase, familiarize yourself with the contents, and don’t let anyone who can’t describe those contents have the suitcase. That’s important.”

  Lester Leith hung up the telephone, and nodded to the spy.

  “I think, Scuttle,” he said, “that the situation is now greatly clarified.”

  “What do you mean, sir?” the spy asked.

  Leith said: “Has it ever occurred to you, Scuttle, that Mainwaring resorted to rather a clever trick? Before he landed, he opened the mouth of the monkey and forced those emeralds into the monkey’s stomach, probably intending to kill the monkey himself and remove the stones when he had reached his home. However some clever holdup man, who deduced what must have happened, swooped down on him, killed the monkey, cut the animal open, and took out the stones. Mainwaring naturally isn’t in a position to make a complete explanation to the police because then he’d be guilty of smuggling and subject to a fine. So he had to put the best face he could on the matter and make up this cock-and-bull story about the priests of Hanuman following the monkey and exacting his life as a sacrifice.”

  “Good heavens, sir! You’re right!” the spy exclaimed.

  “Of course I’m right,” Leith said, frowning slightly. “Don’t seem so surprised, Scuttle. I have shown what is, after all, only very ordinary intelligence.”

  “But what happened to the gems, sir?”

  Lester Leith stared thoughtfully into space for several seconds. At length he said: “In order to answer that question, Scuttle, I would require two specially constructed canes, four imitation emeralds, a package of cotton, and a gum-chewing secretary.”

  “You’ve already asked me to get the secretary,” the spy suggested.

  “So I have,” Leith said, “so I have.”

  “If you don’t mind my asking, sir, what type of cane did you have in mind?”

  “I would need two canes, identical in appearance,” Lester Leith said, “two very large canes with hollow handles; that is, there must be a receptacle hollowed out in the handle of each cane. This receptacle must be capable of concealing two of the imitation emeralds; and one cane must have a telescopic metal ferrule so it can be extended and locked into position, or telescoped back and locked into position. Aside from that, both canes must be exactly alike.”

  The spy blinked his eyes. “I don’t see what that has to do with it, sir,” he said.

  Leith smiled. “After all, Scuttle, the gum-chewing secretary is of prime importance. However, Scuttle, I think I’ve exercised my wits enough for this afternoon. I believe I have a dinner engagement?”

  “Yes, sir. That’s right, sir. But when do you want these canes, sir?”

  “I’d require them by tomorrow morning at the very latest. I— What’s that, Scuttle?”

  “You were talking about the canes, sir, when you wanted them.”

  “Good heavens,” Leith said. “/ don’t want the canes. I was merely working out an academic solution for a crime. Under no circumstances, Scuttle, are you to take me seriously.”

  “Yes, sir,” the spy said.

  “And I don’t want the canes.”

  “No, sir.”

  “Nor the cotton.”

  “No, sir.”

  “But,” Leith said, “you might get me the secretary, Scuttle. Have each agency send its most proficient gum chewer.”

  CHAPTER II>

  BEAVER REPORTS

  Sergeant Ackley sat at a battered desk in police headquarters and scowled across at the undercover man who had finished making his report.

  “Damn it, Beaver,” he said. “The thing doesn’t make sense.”

  The undercover man sighed resignedly. “None of his stuff ever makes sense,” he said, “and yet somehow he always fits everything together into a perfect pattern and whisks the swag right out from under our noses. I’m getting tired of it.”

  “Of course,” Sergeant Ackley went on, “this suitcase is important. You can see what happened, Beaver. The robber, whoever he was, stopped in at the depot and checked this suitcase.”

  “That, of course, gives us a clue to work on,” the spy observed. “But Heaven knows what’s in that suitcase. Leith told the baggageman to open it, familiarize himself with the contents, and not to let anyone have it who couldn’t describe those contents. Now, of course, we could go down there with a warrant and—”

  “Absolutely not,” Sergeant Ackley interrupted. “That’s foolish, Beaver. We’ve been working for months to catch this man, and now that we have a perfect trap all prepared, we’d be foolish to go down and steal the bait ourselves.”

  “Then you
don’t think the gems are in the suitcase?”

  “Why the devil should they be?” Sergeant Ackley asked.

  The undercover man shrugged his shoulders, and said, “Stranger things have happened.”

  “Well, not that strange,” Sergeant Ackley snapped. “After all, the robber took considerable chances in order to get those gems. He undoubtedly must have followed Mainwaring from India. That much of Mainwaring’s story is true; and the robber, once having secured possession of those stones, certainly made tracks for parts unknown. He’s probably thousands of miles away from here by this time, traveling by airplane, but there must be something in that suitcase—something which fits into the scheme of the thing. But I don’t see how it’s going to do Leith any good, because he can’t describe the contents of that suitcase any better than we can.”

  “Well,” Beaver said, “I’ve made my report.” And his voice indicated that he considered himself relieved from further responsibility.

  Sergeant Ackley said: “We’ll plant a couple of men around the depot. The minute that suitcase leaves the place, we’ll get busy and follow it to its destination. If Leith picks it up, so much the better. If he sends some messenger, we’ll follow the messenger until he leads us to Leith. If it’s an accomplice of the crook, we’ll follow him. Of course, we’ve known all along that Mainwaring’s account of the crime was fishy. We felt certain the stickup was over those gems. That was why I wanted you to get Leith interested in working it out. Of course that suitcase may … well, we’ll just keep that as bait.”

  Beaver got to his feet.

  “Well,” he said, “I’ve told you everything I know. Now, I’ve got to get busy and give those girls a once-over as they come in. I suppose they’ll have chewing gum stuck all over the place.”

  Sergeant Ackley assayed a ponderous attempt at humor. “Be careful they don’t gum the works, Beaver.”

  The undercover man started to say something, then changed his mind, and marched to the door.

  “Be sure to keep me posted, Beaver,” Sergeant Ackley warned. “This case is the most important one you’ve handled yet. We’ll catch Lester Leith redhanded. We’ll get enough proof to convict Mainwaring of smuggling, and if those two gems are equal to descriptions, we’ll pick up a nice reward.”

  The undercover man said: “You thought you had him before. If you’ll take my advice, you’ll figure out what he wants those two canes for and where those four counterfeit stones fit into the picture. Otherwise you’ll come another cropper.”

  “That will do, Beaver,” Sergeant Ackley roared. “I’m running this case. You get back on the job and stay there!”

  “Very well, sergeant,” the undercover man said with that synthetic humility which he had learned to assume until it had become almost second nature to him.

  He opened the door a few inches, oozed his huge bulk out into the corridor, then quietly closed the door behind him.

  Sergeant Ackley reached for the telephone.

  CHAPTER III

  GUM CHEWERS

  The undercover man surveyed the dozen young women who had gathered in response to Lester Leith’s summons. They sat grouped about the room in postures which were well calculated to show what Lester Leith’s memorandum had referred as to “shapely means of locomotion.” Each seemed vying with the other to attract attention to the fact that she was possessed of the necessary qualifications.

  As might have been expected, however, from the nature of the request which had been sent to the employment agency, only those young women who had seen enough of life to become slightly calloused to the treatment afforded a working girl had applied. The qualification of being a blatant and inveterate gum chewer had also tended to accomplish the same purpose. Had Lester Leith deliberately sought to acquire a young woman who knew her way around, who was willing to take chance, and was unusually self-reliant, he could not have thought of any means better designed to give him exactly what he wanted.

  Beaver, the undercover man, entered the room and surveyed the twelve waiting applicants, noted the rhythmic swing of the rapidly chewing jaws, heard unmistakable evidences of a proficiency in gum popping; and his black greedy eyes swept in eager appraisal the exposed lengths of sheer silk terminating in shapely, well-shod feet.

  The undercover man took from his pocket twelve twenty-dollar bills, and cleared his throat.

  Twelve pairs of eyes fastened on those twenty-dollar bills. The girls, with one accord and as though at some preconcerted signal, quit chewing, some of them holding their jaws poised, the wad of gum balanced precariously between upper and lower molars.

  The valet said: “You young ladies are all applicants for this position. Mr. Leith has instructed me to give to each applicant a twenty-dollar bill. This will be in addition to the three hundred dollars a month salary which is to be paid to the one who gets the job. Mr. Leith has asked me to state that he appreciates your courtesy in coming here, and he wanted me to tell you that he felt quite certain that each of you had … ‘the external qualifications’ were the words he used,” the spy said, letting his eyes once more slither along the row of shapely limbs. “In just a moment Mr. Leith will—”

  Lester Leith interrupted him by flinging open the door of his sitting room.

  “Good afternoon,” he said.

  Twelve pairs of eyes changed from cynical appraisal to interest.

  “Good afternoon,” the applicants chorused.

  Leith looked them over and said: “Obviously since there is only one position, eleven of you must necessarily be disappointed. I have tried to make some small contribution which will alleviate your disappointment somewhat, and, as you are all working girls, I believe that it is only fair to all concerned to pick a person to fill the position in the quickest manner possible. I will, therefore, look you over, and interview the person I consider the most talented first. I believe you understand that I am looking for young women with symmetrical limbs, and women who are inveterate gum chewers.”

  “Say,” one of them said, “what’s the idea about the gams?”

  “Just what do you mean?” Leith asked.

  “Is this a job or ain’t it?” the girl asked.

  “This,” Leith assured her gravely, “is a job.”

  “Well,” the girl said, “I didn’t want to have any misunderstandings, that’s all.”

  Lester Leith surveyed the girl with interest. “What,” he asked, “is your name?”

  “Evelyn Rae,” she said, “and I think I’m speaking for most of the others as well as myself when I say that I came up here to look the proposition over. I’m not so certain I’m making an application for the job. I don’t like that crack about what you call shapely means of locomotion. I do my shorthand and my typewriting with my hands.”

  One or two of the others nodded.

  A blond at the far end of the line shifted her gum, and said: “Speak for yourself, dearie. I’ll do my own talking.”

  Lester Leith smiled at Evelyn Rae. “I think,” he said, “you’re the young woman I want to interview first. Come in, please.”

  She followed him into his private sitting room, surveying him with frankly dubious eyes.

  “You may think I’m the one you want to work for you,” she said, “but I’m not so sure you’re the person / want to be my boss.”

  “I understand,” Leith said. “I understood you the first time.”

  “All right,” she said. “What are the duties?”

  “Well,” Leith told her, “you will take a train out of the city which leaves the depot at seven twenty tonight. You will arrive in Beacon City at nine thirty. From there on, the train is a limited train, making no stops until after midnight. I’ll travel with you as far as Beacon City. We will have a drawing room.”

  “Oh, yeah?” she said. “That’s what you think.”

  “At Beacon City,” Leith went on heedless of the interruption, “a suitcase will be placed aboard the train. You will not open that suitcase. Under no circumstances are you
even to look in it. At approximately ten p.m. you will be arrested.”

  “Arrested for what?” she asked.

  “For being an accessory after the fact in the theft of two emeralds,” Leith said.

  “What’ll I be guilty of?”

  “Nothing.”

  “Then how can they arrest me?”

  “It’s a habit some of the more impulsive officers have,” Leith pointed out.

  “Well, I don’t like it.”

  “Neither do I,” Leith told her.

  “What else do I do?”

  “You will continue aboard the train in the custody of the officers until they make arrangements to stop and take you off and return you to the city. At that time, you will be released. The officers will apologize. You will retain counsel and threaten a suit for false arrest. The officers will be glad to compromise. I don’t think you’ll receive a very large sum by the way of a cash settlement, but you doubtless will wind up with sufficient pull to square any parking or speeding tickets you or your friends may get within the city limits for some time to come. There will be no other duties.”

  “Is this,” she asked, “a line of hooey?”

  Leith took three one-hundred-dollar bills from his pocket.

  “I am,” he said, “willing to show my good faith by paying you a month’s salary in advance. You look honest to me.”

  “Honest but direct,” she said. “What’ll you be doing in that drawing room between Central Depot and Beacon City?”

  “Reading.”

  “What’ll you be doing after the train leaves Beacon City?”

  Lester Leith smiled, and said, “The less you know about that the better.”

  Evelyn Rae looked at the three hundred-dollar bills speculatively. “That,” she said, “is a lot of money.”

  Leith nodded.

  “And not much work,” she added.

  Again Leith nodded.

  “What else am I supposed to do?” she asked.