按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
〃How did you know that？〃 he almost whispered。
〃I found out。 Some I was told； some I researched； some I guessed。 I'll get to that later。 Now Vannier and his pal have made a doubloon and they want to try it out。 They wanted to know their merchandise would stand up under inspection by a man supposed to know rare coins。 So Vannier had the idea of hiring a sucker and getting him to try to sell the counterfeit to old Morningstar； cheap enough so the old guy would think it was stolen。 They picked George Phillips for their sucker； through a silly ad he was running in the paper for business。 I think Lois Morny was Vannier's contact with Phillips； at first anyway。 I don't think she was in the racket。 She was seen to give Phillips a small package。 This package may have contained the doubloon Phillips was to try to sell。 But when he showed it to old Morningstar he ran into a snag。 The old man knew his coin collections and his rare coins。 He probably thought the coin was genuine enoughit would take a lot of testing to show it wasn'tbut the way the maker's initials were stamped on the coin was unusual and suggested to him that the coin might be the Murdock Brasher。 He called up here and tried to find out。 That made your mother suspicious and the coin was found to be missing and she suspected Linda； whom she hates； and hired me to get it back and put the squeeze on Linda for a divorce； without alimony。〃
〃I don't want a divorce；〃 Murdock said hotly。 〃I never had any such idea。 She had no right〃 he stopped and made a despairing gesture and a kind of sobbing sound。
〃Okay； I know that。 Well； old Morningstar threw a scare into Phillips； who wasn't crooked； just dumb。 He managed to get Phillips' phone number out of him。 I heard the old man call that number； eavesdropping in his office after he thought I had left。 I had just offered to buy the doubloon back for a thousand dollars and Morningstar had taken up the offer； thinking he could get the coin from Phillips； make himself some money and everything lovely。 Meantime Phillips was watching this house； perhaps to see if any cops were ing and going。 He saw me； saw my car； got my name off the registration and it just happened he knew who I was。
〃He followed me around trying to make up his mind to ask me for help until I braced him in a downtown hotel and he mumbled about knowing me from a case in Ventura when he was a deputy up there； and about being in a spot he didn't like and about being followed around by a tall guy with a funny eye。 That was Eddie Prue； Morny's sidewinder。 Morny knew his wife was playing games with Vannier and had her shadowed。 Prue saw her make contact with Phillips near where he lived on Court Street； Bunker Hill； and then followed Phillips until he thought Phillips had spotted him； which he had。 And Prue； or somebody working for Morny； may have seen me go to Phillips' apartment on Court Street。 Because he tried to scare me over the phone and later asked me to e and see Morny。〃
I got rid of my cigarette stub in the jade ashtray； looked at the bleak unhappy face of the man sitting opposite me； and plowed on。 It was heavy going； and the sound of my voice was beginning to sicken me。
〃Now we e back to you。 When Merle told you your mother had hired a dick； that threw a scare into you。 You figured she had missed the doubloon and you came steaming up to my office and tried to pump me。 Very debonair； very sarcastic at first； very solicitous for your wife； but very worried。 I don't know what you think you found out； but you got in touch with Vannier。 You now had to get the coin back to your mother in a hurry； with some kind of story。 You met Vannier somewhere and he gave you a doubloon。 Chances are it's another counterfeit。 He would be likely to hang on to the real one。 Now Vannier sees his racket in danger of blowing up before it gets started。 Morningstar has called your mother and I have been hired。 Morningstar has spotted something。 Vannier goes down to Phillips' apartment； sneaks in the back way； and has it out with Phillips； trying to find out where he stands。
〃Phillips doesn't tell him he has already sent the counterfeit doubloon to me； addressing it in a kind of printing afterwards found in a diary in his office。 I infer that from the fact Vannier didn't try to get it back from me。 I don't know what Phillips told Vannier； of course； but the chances are he told him the job was crooked； that he knew where the coin came from； and that he was going to the police or to Mrs。 Murdock。 And Vannier pulled a gun； knocked him on the head and shot him。 He searched him and the apartment and didn't find the doubloon。 So he went to Morningstar。 Morningstar didn't have the counterfeit doubloon either； but Vannier probably thought he had。 He cracked the old man's skull with a gun butt and went through his safe； perhaps found some money； perhaps found nothing； at any rate left the appearance of a stickup behind him。 Then Mr。 Vannier breezed on home； still rather annoyed because he hadn't found the doubloon； but with the satisfaction of a good afternoon's work under his vest。 A couple of nice neat murders。 That left you。〃
34
Murdock flicked a strained look at me； then his eyes went to the black cigarette holder he still had clenched in his hand。 He tucked it in his shirt pocket； stood up suddenly； ground the heels of his hands together and sat down again。 He got a handkerchief out and mopped his face。
〃Why me？〃 he asked in a thick strained voice。
〃You knew too much。 Perhaps you knew about Phillips； perhaps not。 Depends how deep you were in it。 But you knew about Morningstar。 The scheme had gone wrong and Morningstar had been murdered。 Vannier couldn't just sit back and hope you wouldn't hear about that。 He had to shut your mouth； very； very tight。 But he didn't have to kill you to do it。 In fact killing you would be a bad move。 It would break his hold on your mother。 She's a cold ruthless grasping woman； but hurting you would make a wildcat of her。 She wouldn't care what happened。〃
Murdock lifted his eyes。 He tried to make them blank with astonishment。 He only made them dull and shocked。
〃My motherwhat？〃
〃Don't kid me any more than you have to；〃 I said。 〃I'm tired to death of being kidded by the Murdock family。 Merle came to my apartment this evening。 She's there now。 She had been over to Vannier's house to bring him some money。 Blackmail money。 Money that had been paid to him off and on for eight years。 I know why。〃
He didn't move。 His hands were rigid with strain on his knees。 His eyes had almost disappeared into the back of his head。 They were doomed eyes。
〃Merle found Vannier dead。 She came to me and said she had killed him。 Let's not go into why she thinks she ought to confess to other people's murders。 I went over there and he had been dead since last night。 He was as stiff as a wax dummy。 There was a gun lying on the floor by his right hand。 It was a gun I had heard described； a gun that belonged to a man named Hench； in an apartment across the hall from Phillips' apartment。 Somebody ditched the gun that killed Phillips and took Hench's gun。 Hench and his girl were drunk and left their apartment open。 It's not proved that it was Hench's gun； but it will be。 If it is Hench's gun； and Vannier mitted suicide； it ties Vannier to the death of Phillips。 Lois Morny also ties him to Phillips； in another way。 If Vannier didn't mit suicideand I don't believe he didit might still tie him to Phillips。 Or it might tie somebody else to Phillips； somebody who also killed Vannier。 There are reasons why I don't like that idea。〃
Murdock's head came up。 He said： 〃No？〃 in a suddenly clear voice。 There was a new expression on his face； something bright and shining and at the same time just a little silly。 The expression of a weak man being proud。
I said： 〃I think you killed Vannier。〃
He didn't move and the bright shining expression stayed on his face。
〃You went over there last night。 He sent for you。 He told you he was in a jam and that if the law caught up with him； he would see that you were in the jam with him。 Didn't he say something like that？〃
〃Yes；〃 Murdock said quietly。 〃Something exactly like that。 He was drunk and a bit high and he seemed to have a sense of power。 He gloated； almost。 He said if they got him in the gas chamber； I would be sitting right beside him。 But that wasn't all he said。〃
〃No。 He didn't want to sit in the gas chamber and he didn't at the time see any very good reason why he should； if you kept your mouth good and tight。 So he played his trump card。 His first hold on you； what made you take the doubloon and give it to him； even if he did promise you money as well； was something about Merle and your father。 I know about it。 Your mother told me what little I hadn't put together already。 That was his first hold and it was pretty strong。 Because it would let you justify yourself。 But last night he wanted something still stronger。 So he told you the truth and said he had proof。〃
He shivered； but the light clear proud look managed to stay on his face。
〃I pulled a gun on him；〃 he said； almost in a happy voice。 〃After all she is my mother。〃
〃Nobody can take that away from you。〃
He stoo