I spotted a slight movement out on the terrace, and guessed Muffin had arrived.
She turned away from me.
'Why should I make it up?'
I moved over to the casement doors. Muffin, Paula and Mary Jerome were out there. I beckoned to Muffin, motioning to Paula and Mary to remain where they were.
Mifflin came into the lounge like a cat on a hot stove.
Serena turned swiftly and stared at him.
'Dedrick's upstairs,' I told Mifflin. 'He's dead. Suicide.'
Muffin grunted, walked quickly across the room to the door. I watched him mount the stairs.
'How - how did he get here?' Serena asked, bar band going to her throat.
'I guessed Dedrick would be here. I spotted him through the window and called Muffin.'
'You — you used this phone?'
I nodded.
'Then Lee must have heard you and listened in. That's why he — he shot himself.'
I stared at her.
Why should be shoot himself?'
She looked away.
'The police want him on a - a murder charge, don't they?'
'Yeah; so they do. I don't think it could have happened that way. I looked for a telephone extension in his room. There isn't one.'
She didn't say anything.
Then I had another idea: I was full of them tonight.
'You know he was married before he married you?' I said quietly.
She spun round; her face hardening.
'I don't wish to discuss that.'
'I thought you'd like to meet her. She's just outside.'
She started to her feet.
'I won't have her here! She's not to come in!'
'But she'll have to identify Dedrick. I'm afraid she'll have to come in.'
'No! I forbid her to come into my house!'
Her face had turned ashen, and her big, glittering eyes seemed to sink into her head.
'I loved him!' she went on wildly. 'I won't have that woman go near him!'
I went to the casement door.
'Come in,' I said to Mary Jerome. 'I want you to go upstairs and look at Dedrick. Don't pay any attention to her. I'll see she doesn't...'
I stopped short.
Serena had moved swiftly to a drawer in the writing desk at the other end of the room, pulled it open and swung around. She had a small automatic in her hand.
'She stays where she is!'
Mary stood quietly in the doorway, looking at Serene. Her eyes were cold and contemptuous.
'What are you afraid of?' I asked, moving slowly towards.
'Stay where you are!'
I saw her knuckle tighten on the trigger and I stopped.
'Be careful,' I warned.
'Get that woman out of my sight! She's not going near him!'
'What's going on?'
Mifflin came in.
Outside, there came a squeal of brakes, and a pounding of feet on the terrace. Sergeant MacGraw and two uniformed cops burst into the room.
Serena took a quick step back. I was watching her. I saw her lift the gun, turning it on herself. There was a look of sick terror in her eyes as she pressed the barrel into her side. I was waiting for that move. I threw myself forward, knocking her to the floor as the gun went off.
Mifflin dashed forward, dropped on his knees and wrenched the gun out of bar hand.
I rolled away from her.
She lay on her side, her head cradled on her arm, sobbing.
'Is she hurt?' Muffin panted.
I shook my head, pointed to the bullet scar on the floor near her.
'What the hell goes on?' MacGrea barked. 'What is all this?'
'Take her upstairs and let her look at Dedrick,' I said, waving my hand to Mary Jerome. 'She has the answer to this, although she doesn't know it.'
'But what..' Muffin began.
'Take her up. It's better to hear it from her than me.'
He shrugged, jerked his thumb to the door.
'Go ahead,' I said to Mary. 'It's all right There's nothing to be scared of.'
She followed Mifflin, and as they climbed the stairs together, I lifted Serena and carried her to the settee.
She lay on her side, her face hidden, her body racked vith sobs.
MacGraw showed his teeth at me.
'So you're still solving them, Bright Boy,' he sneered. 'Right in there at the finish to tell us how it was done.'
'Well, someone's got to do it for you,' I said, and crossed the room to Paula.
'What is it Vic?' she asked.
'Cross your fingers. This may be Perelli's out.'
We waited.
After a few minutes, Mary came down the stairs, followed by Mifflin.
'What do you know?' Mifflin said, breathing hard. 'That's not Dedrick up there. She says it's Lute Ferris.' He looked over at MacGraw. 'You know Ferris. Go up there and look at him.'
MacGraw ran up the stairs.
Mifflin said to me, 'Didn't she say he was Dedrick?' He nodded to Serena, who still lay on the settee, hiding her face.
I nodded.
MacGraw leaned over the banisters.
'It's Ferris all right,' he called.
'Then where the hell is Dedrick?' Mifflin demanded.
'Ask her. She'll tell you,' I said, pointing to Serena. 'It's my bet he's the heap of rags and bones in the mine.'
Serena suddenly sat up, her face white and her eyes glittering.
'I shot him,' she said in a voice scarcely above a whisper. 'And I shot Ferris too. Do what you like with me. I don't care. Do what you like with me.'
III
It was around five o'clock the next afternoon when the office door pushed open and Muffin tramped in.
I was lolling in my desk chair. Paula was standing over Jack Kerman, who lay on the office couch. He had justt returned from Paris, and at this moment was endeavouring to justify an expense sheet that looked like Danny Kaye's income-tax assessment.
'Twenty dollars a night for champagne,' Paula was saying, waving the expense sheet in Kerman's face. 'And nothing to show for it. Nothing at all.'
Kerman grinned feebly.
'Don't drive it into the ground,' he pleaded. 'A guy's got to live...'
'Come right in, Tim,' I said, taking my feet off the desk. 'I was hoping you'd look us up. Sit down. Hey, Jack, quit lying. and get the Lieutenant a whisky.'
'That's about all he's any good at,' Paula said tartly.
'Nice to hear I've even that to my credit,' Kernian said bitterly.
He rolled off the couch and busied himself with glasses, while Mifflin lowered his bulk into a chair opposite my desk.
'Thought you'd want to know how it worked out,' he said. 'It's been some day. Brandon's having fits.' He blew out his cheeks. We had no trouble with Serena. She talked. It's a funny thing: once a woman really lets herself go, can she talk!'
'Men aren't exactly backward in that line either,' Paula reminded him gently.
He winked at me as he stretched out his hand for the whisky Kerman had poured him.
'This is going to do me a lot of good,' he said, sipped and sighed appreciatively. 'Yeah, very nice, and I certainly need it. Francon has taken over Serena's defence. He had a lucky break. He was with Perelli when I brought her in. The way he switched from Perelli to her made me dizzy. Perelli was released about an hour ago. Brandon hated letting him out, but there was nothing else he could do after he'd listened to Serena. Perelli tells me he's coming round to see you as soon as he's located his girl friend. He said something about a celebration.'
'Hot dog!' Kerman said enthusiastically. We'll throw them a party!'
'And you can finance it,' Paula said.
'Do you want to hear the story the way Serena told it to Brandon?' Muffin asked
me.
'You bet.'
'Well, you weren't far off the beam. Souki started the trouble. He hated Dedrick at sight, and when Dedrick was staying with Marshland, Souki went through his baggage. He found evidence of Dedrick's smuggling activities as well as his marriage to Mary Jerome. Before he could report his discovery to Serena, he had to leave with Dedrick for Orchid City. He left the evidence in Serena's room. She promptly charted a plane and came after Dedrick. They met at Ocean End. Souki had returned to the Orchid Hotel, and was coming out to fetch Dedrick at ten. Serena accused Dedrick of marrying her bigamously. He laughed at her, admitting be had married her for what he could get out of her. Apparently you don't talk like that to a Marshland. She shot him. Dedrick had arranged to meet Barratt and Ferris at Ocean End. They walked in a few seconds after the shooting, and caught Serena red-handed. Barratt saw his chance, and took it. So long as the shooting wasn't discovered, he had Serena in his power. He offered to cover up the murder if she paid and continued to pay. There was no out for her.
'Ferris took Dedrick's body in his car and hid it in the mine while Barratt drove Serena back to the airport. He and Ferris returned to Ocean End and waited for Souki to return. They shot him and Ferris phoned you, making out he was Dedrick. By shooting Souki and phoning you they established the faked kidnapping had taken place at ten, whereas, of course, Dedrick had been murdered at eight; giving Serena an alibi.
'You know the rest of it. When Ferris heard Barratt was dead, he went to Ocean End and forced Serena to hide him. She heard you when you telephoned me, and listened in on her extension. She knew Ferris would talk if he was caught. She decided to silence him, hoping we would believe he was Dedrick. It was a gamble that might have come off. She went into Ferris's room, shot him and staged the suicide scene. If it hadn't been for Mary Jerome, she might have got away with it'
I shook my head.
'I don't think so. I think Wadlock would have given her away. He knew Dedrick; and besides she slipped up when she said Ferris had listened in to my conversation with you. He hadn't a phone in his room. That made me wonder why he had shot himself so conveniently and suddenly. It crossed my mind then that maybe he wasn't Dedrick. What'll happen to her, Tim?'
Mifflin shrugged.
'With Francon looking after her, anything can happen. It's a wonderful thing what money can do.'
'I don't think even Francon can save her: not when the whole story comes out. What's happened to Mary?'
'She's in the clear. She'll be our chief witness, but we have nothing on her.' Muffin heaved himself out of his chair. 'I guess I'll blow. Perelli doesn't seem to like coppers. I wouldn't want to spoil his celebration.'
When he had gone, Kerman asked casually, 'What's Perelli's girl like — nice?'
'Never mind what she's like,' Paula said briskly. 'You have other things to worry about just now,' and she reached for his expense sheet again. What's this item — fifty dollars for
Perfume?'
I settled down again to enjoy his feverish and unconvincing explanations.
THE END