rc.theladyinthelake-第12节

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nybody　named　Mildred　Haviland　either。　Drive　you　back　to　town？〃
　　〃Oh　no；　thanks。　I'll　walk。　It's　only　a　few　steps。　Much　obliged　to　you。　I　kind　of　hope　Bill　doesn't　get　into　a　jam。　Especially　a　nasty　jam　like　this。〃　She　got　out　of　the　car　and　hung　on　one　foot；　then　tossed　her　head　and　laughed。　〃They　say　I'm　a　pretty　good　beauty　operator；〃　she　said。　〃I　hope　I　am。　As　an　interviewer　I'm　terrible。　Goodnight。〃　I　said　good　night　and　she　walked　off　into　the　evening。　I　sat　there　watching　her　until　she　reached　the　main　street　and　turned　out　of　sight。　Then　I　got　out　of　the　Chrysler　and　went　over　towards　the　telephone　pany's　little　rustic　building。
　　
　　
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　　A　tame　doe　deer　with　a　leather　dog　collar　on　wandered　across　the　road　in　front　of　me。　I　patted　her　rough　hairy　neck　'and　went　into　the　telephone　office。　A　small　girl　in　slacks　sat　at　a　small　desk　working　on　the　books。　She　got　me　the　rate　to　Beverly　Hills　and　the　change　for　the　coin　box。　The　booth　was　outside；　against　the　front　wall　of　the　building。
　　〃I　hope　you　like　it　up　here；〃　she　said。　〃It's　very　quiet；　very　restful。〃　I　shut　myself　into　the　booth。　For　ninety　cents　I　could　talk　to　Derace　Kingsley　for　five　minutes。　He　was　at　home　and　the　call　came　through　quickly　but　the　connection　was　full　of　mountain　static。
　　〃Find　anything　up　there？〃　he　asked　me　in　a　three　highball　voice。　He　sounded　tough　and　confident　again。
　　〃I've　found　too　much；〃　I　said。　〃And　not　at　all　what　we　want。　Are　you　alone？〃
　　〃What　does　that　matter？〃
　　〃It　doesn't　matter　to　me。　But　I　know　what　I'm　going　to　say。　You　don't。〃
　　〃Well；　get　on　with　it；　whatever　it　is；〃　he　said。
　　〃I　had　a　long　talk　with　Bill　Chess。　He　was　lonely。　His　wife　had　left　him…a　month　ago。　They　had　a　fight　and　he　went　out　and　got　drunk　and　when　he　came　back　she　was　gone。　She　left　a　note　saying　she　would　rather　be　dead　than　live　with　him　any　more。〃
　　〃I　guess　Bill　drinks　too　much；〃　Kingsley's　voice　said　from　very　far　off。
　　〃When　he　got　back；　both　the　women　had　gone。　He　had　no　idea　where　Mrs。　Kingsley　went　Lavery　was　up　here　in　May；　but　not　since。　Lavery　admitted　that　much　himself。　Lavery　could；　of　course；　have　e　up　again　while　Bill　was　out　getting　drunk；　but　there　wouldn't　be　a　lot　of　point　to　that　and　there　would　be　two　cars　to　drive　down　the　hill。　And　I　thought　that　possibly　Mrs。　K。　and　Muriel　Chess　might　have　gone　away　together；　only　Muriel　also　had　a　car　of　her　own。　But　that　idea；　little　as　it　was　worth；　has　been　thrown　out　by　another　development。　Muriel　Chess　didn't　go　away　at　all。　She　went　down　into　your　private　lake。　She　came　back　up　today。　I　was　there。〃
　　〃Good　God！〃　Kingsley　sounded　properly　horrified。　〃You　mean　she　drowned　herself？〃
　　〃Perhaps。　The　note　she　left　could　be　a　suicide　note。　It　would　read　as　well　that　way　as　the　other。　The　body　was　stuck　down　under　that　old　submerged　landing　below　the　pier。　Bill　was　the　one　who　spotted　an　arm　moving　down　there　while　we　were　standing　on　the　pier　looking　down　into　the　water。　He　got　her　out。　They've　arrested　him。　The　poor　guy's　pretty　badly　broken　up。〃
　　〃Good　God！〃　Kingsley　said　again。　〃I　should　think　he　would　be。　Does　it　look　as　if　he〃　He　paused　as　the　operator　came　in　on　the　line　and　demanded　another　fortyfive　cents。　I　put　in　two　quarters　and　the　line　cleared。
　　〃Look　as　if　he　what？〃　Suddenly　very　clear；　Kingsley's　voice　said：　〃Look　as　if　he　murdered　her？〃　I　said：　〃Very　much。　Jim　Patton；　the　constable　up　here；　doesn't　like　the　nOte　not　being　dated。　It　seems　she　left　him　once　before　over　some　woman。　Patton　sort　of　suspects　Bill　might　have　saved　up　an　old　note。　Anyhow　they've　taken　Bill　down　to　San　Bernardino　for　questioning　and　they've　taken　the　body　down　to　be　post…mortemed。〃
　　〃And　what　do　you　think？〃　he　asked　slowly。
　　〃Well；　Bifi　found　the　body　himself。　He　didn't　have　to　take　me　around　by　that　pier。　She　might　have　stayed　down　in　the　water　very　much　longer；　or　forever。　The　note　could　be　old　because　Bifi　had　carried　it　in　his　wallet　and　handled　it　from　time　to　time；　brooding　over　it。　It　could　just　as　easily　be　undated　this　time　as　another　time。　I'd　say　notes　like　that　are　undated　more　often　than　not。　The　people　who　write　them　are　apt　to　be　in　a　hurry　and　not　concerned　with　dates。〃
　　〃The　body　must　be　pretty　far　gone。　What　can　they　find　out　now？〃
　　〃I　don't　know　how　well　equipped　they　are。　They　can　find　out　if　she　died　by　drowning；　I　guess。　And　whether　there　are　any　marks　of　violence　that　wouldn't　be　erased　by　water　and　deposition。　They　could　tell　if　she　had　been　shot　or　stabbed。　If　the　hyoid　bone　in　the　throat　was　broken；　they　could　assume　she　was　throttled。　The　main　thing　for　us　is　that　I'll　have　to　tell　why　I　came　up　here。　I'll　have　to　testify　at　an　inquest。〃
　　〃That's　bad；〃　Kingsley　growled。　〃Very　bad。　What　do　you　plan　to　do　now？〃
　　〃On　my　way　home　I'll　stop　at　the　Prescott　Hotel　and　see　if　I　can　pick　up　anything　there。　Were　your　wife　and　Muriel　Chess　friendly？〃
　　〃I　guess　so。　Crystal's　easy　enough　to　get　along　with　most　of　the　time。　I　hardly　knew　Muriel　Chess。〃
　　〃Did　you　ever　know　anybody　named　Mildred　Haviland？〃
　　〃What？〃　I　repeated　the　name。
　　〃No；〃　he　said。　〃Is　there　any　reason　why　I　should？〃
　　〃Every　question　I　ask　you　ask　another　right　back；〃　I　said。　〃No；　there　isn't　any　reason　why　you　should　know　Mildred　Haviland。　Especially　if　you　hardly　knew　Muriel　Chess。　I'll　call　you　in　the　morning。〃
　　〃Do　that；〃　he　said；　and　hesitated。　〃I'm　sorry　you　had　to　walk　into　such　a　mess；〃　he　added；　and　then　hesitated　again　and　said　goodnight　and　hung　up。
　　The　bell　rang　again　immediately　and　the　long　distance　operator　told　me　sharply　I　had　put　in　five　cents　too　much　money。　I　said　the　sort　of　thing　I　would　be　likely　to　put　into　an　opening　like　that。　She　didn't　like　it。
　　I　stepped　out　of　the　booth　and　gathered　some　air　into　my　lungs。　The　tame　doe　with　the　leather　collar　was　standing　in　the　gap　in　the　fence　at　the　end　of　the　walk。　I　tried　to　push　her　out　of　the　way；　but　she　just　leaned　against　me　and　wouldn't　push。　So　I　stepped　over　the　fence　and　went　back　to　the　Chrysler　and　drove　back　to　the　village。
　　There　was　a　hanging　light　in　Patton's　headquarters　but　the　shack　was　empty　and　his　〃_Back　in　Twenty　Minutes_〃　sign　was　still　against　the　inside　of　the　glass　part　of　the　door。　I　kept　on　going　down　to　the　boat　landing　and　beyond　to　the　edge　of　a　deserted　swimming　beach。　A　few　put…puts　and　speedboats　were　still　fooling　around　on　the　silky　water。　Across　the　lake　tiny　yellow　lights　began　to　show　in　toy　cabins　perched　on　miniature　slopes。　A　single　bright　star　glowed　low　in　the　northeast　above　the　ridge　of　the　mountains。　A　robin　sat　on　the　spike　top　of　a　hundred　foot　pine　and　waited　for　it　to　be　dark　enough　for　him　to　sing　his　goodnight　song。
　　In　a　little　while　it　was　dark　enough　and　he　sang　and　went　away　into　the　invisible　depths　of　sky。　I　snapped　my　cigarette　into　the　motionless　water　a　few　feet'　away　and　climbed　back　into　the　car　and　started　back　in　the　direction　of　Little　Fawn　Lake。
　　
　　
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　　The　gate　across　the　private　road　was　padlocked。　I　put　the　Chrysler　between　two　pine　trees　and　climbed　the　gate　and　pussy…footed　along　the　side　of　the　road　until　the　glimmer　of　the　little　lake　bloomed　suddenly　at　my　feet。　Bill　Chess's　cabin　was　dark。　The　three　cabins　on　the　other　side　were　abrupt　shadows　against　the　pale　granite　outcrop。　Water　gleamed　white　where　it　trickled　across　the　top　of　the　dam；　and　fell　almost　soundlessly　along　the　sloping　outer　face　to　the　brook　below。　I　listened；　and　heard　no　other　sound　at　all。
　　The　front　door　of　the　Chess　cabin　was　locked。　I　padded　along　to　the　back　and　found　a　brute　of　a　padlock　hanging　at　that。　I　went　along　the　walls　feeling　window　screens。　They　were　all　fastened。　One　window　higher　up　was　screenless；　a　small　double　cottage　window　half　way　down　the　north　wall。　This　was　locked　too。　I　stood　still　and　did　some　more　listening。　There　was　no　breeze　and　the　trees　were　as　quiet　as　their　shadows。
　　I　tried　a　knife　blade　between　the　two　halves　of　the　small　window。　No　soap。　The　catch　refused　to　budge。　I　leaned　against　the　wall　and　thought　and　then　suddenly　I　picked　up　a　large　stone　and　smacked　it　against　the　place　where　the　two　frames　met　in　the　middle。　The　catch　pulled　out　of　dry　wood　with　a　tearing　noise。　The　window　swung　back　into　darkness。　I　heaved　up　on　the　sill　and　wangled　a　cramped　leg　over　and　edged　through　the　opening。　I　rolled　and　let　myself　down　into　the　room。　I　turned；　grunting　a　little　from　the　exertion　at　that　altitude；　and　listened　again。
　　A　blazing　flash　beam　hit　me　square　in　the　eyes。
　　A　very　calm　voice　said：　〃I'd　rest　right　there；　son。　You　must　be　all　tuckered　out。〃　The　flash　pinned　me　against　the　wall　like　a　squashed　fly。　Then　a　light　switch　clicked　and　a　table　lamp　glowed。　The　flash　went　out。　Jim　Patton　was　sitting　in　an　old　brown　Morris　chair　beside　the　table。　A　fringed　brown　scarf　hung　over　the　end　of　the　table　and　touched　his　thick　knee。　He　wore　the　same　clothes　he　had　worn　that　afternoon；　with　the　addition　of　a　leather　jerkin　which　must　have　been　new　once；　say　about　the　time　of　Grover　Cleveland's　first　term。　His　hands　were　empty　except　for　that　flash。　His　eyes　were　empty。　His　jaws　moved　in　gentle　rhythm。
　　〃What's　on　your