rc.theladyinthelake-第42节

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idn't　enter　the　picture　anywhere　for　him。　Why　should　she？〃　Patton　said：　〃I　ought　to　of　thought　of　it　myself。　But　if　I　had；　it　would　be　one　of　those　ideas　a　fellow　would　throw　away　almost　as　quick　as　he　thought　of　it。　It　would　look　too　kind　of　far…fetched。〃
　　〃Superficially　yes；〃　I　said。　〃But　only　superficially。　Suppose　the　body　had　not　e　up　out　of　the　lake　for　a　year；　or　not　at　all；　unless　the　lake　was　dragged　for　it。　Muriel　Chess　was　gone　and　nobody　was　going　to　spend　much　time　looking　for　her。　We。might　never　have　heard　of　her　again。　Mrs。　Kingsley　was　a　different　proposition。　She　had　money　and　connections　and　an　anxious　husband。　She　would　be　searched　for；　as　she　was；　eventually。　But　not　very　soon；　unless　something　happened　to　start　suspicion。　It　might　have　been　a　matter　of　months　before　anything　was　found　out。　The　lake　might　have　been　dragged；　but　if　a　search　along　her　trail　seemed　to　indicate　that　she　had　actually　left　the　lake　and　gone　down　the　hill；　even　as　far　as　San　Bernardino；　and　the　train　from　there　east；　then　the　lake　might　never　have　been　dragged。　And　even　if　it　was　and　the　body　was　found；　there　was　rather　better　than　an　even　chance　that　the　body　would　not　be　correctly　identified。　Bill　Chess　was　arrested　for　his　wife's　murder。　For　all　I　know　he　might　even　have　been　convicted　of　it；　and　that　would　have　been　that；　as　far　as　the　body　in　the　lake　was　concerned。　Crystal　Kingsley　would　still　be　missing；　and　it　would　be　an　unsolved　mystery。　Eventually　it　would　be　assumed　that　something　had　happened　to　her　and　that　she　was　no　longer　alive。　But　nobody　would　know　where　or　when　or　how　it　had　happened。　If　it　hadn't　been　for　Lavery；　we　might　not　be　here　talldng　about　it　now。　Lavery　is　the　key　to　the　whole　thing。　He　was　in　the　Prescott　Hotel　in　San　Bernardino　the　night　Crystal　Kingsley　was　supposed　to　have　left　here。　He　saw　a　woman　there　who　had　Crystal　Kingsley's　car；　who　was　wearing　Crystal　Kingsley's　clothes；　and　of　course　he　knew　who　she　was。　But　he　didn't　have　to　know　there　was　anything　wrong。　He　didn't　have　to　know　they　were　Crystal　Kingsley's　clothes　or　that　the　woman　had　put　Crystal　Kingsley's　car　in　the　hotel　garage。　All　he　had　to　know　was　that　he　met　Muriel　Chess。　Muriel　took　care　of　the　rest。〃　I　stopped　and　waited　for　somebody　to　say　anything。　Nobody　did。　Patton　sat　immovable　in　his　chair；　his　plump；　hairless　hands　clasped　fortable　across　his　stomach。　Kingsley　leaned　his　head　back　and　he　had　his　eyes　half　closed　and…he　was　not　moving。　Degarmo　leaned　against　the　wall　by　the　fireplace；　taut　and　whitefaced　and　cold；　a　big　hard　solemn　man　whose　thoughts　were　deeply　hidden。
　　I　went　on　talking。
　　〃If　Muriel　Chess　impersonated　Crystal　Kingsley；　she　murdered　her。　That's　elementary。　All　right；　let's　look　at　it。　We　know　who　she　was　and　what　kind　of　woman　she　was。　She　had　already　murdered　before　she　met　and　married　Bill　Chess。　She　had　been　Dr。　Almore's　office　nurse　and　his　little　pal　and　she　had　murdered　Dr。　Almore's　wife　in　such　a　neat　way　that　Almore　had　to　cover　up　for　her。　And　she　had　been　married　to　a　man　in　the　Bay　City　police　who　also　was　sucker　enough　to　cover　up　for　her。　She　got　the　men　that　way；　she　could　make　them　jump　through　hoops。　I　didn't　know　her　long　enough　to　see　why；　but　her　record　proves　it。　What　she　was　able　to　do　with　Lavery　proves　it。　Very　well；　she　killed　people　who　got　in　her　way；　and　Kingsley's　wife　got　in　her　way　too。　I　hadn't　meant　to　talk　about　this；　but　it　doesn't　matter　much　now。　Crystal　Kingsley　could　make　the　men　do　a　little　jumping　through　hoops　too。　She　made　Bill；；　Chess　jump　and　Bill　Chess's　wife　wasn't　the　girl　to　take　that　and　smile。　Also；　she　was　sick　to　death　of　her　life　up　here…she　must　have　been…and　she　wanted　to　get　away。　But　she　needed　money。　She　had　tried　to　get　it　from　Almore；　and　that　sent　Degarmo　up　here　looking　for　her。　That　scared　her　a　little。　Degarmo　is　the　sort　of　fellow　you　are　never　quite　sure　of。　She　was　right　not　to　be　sure　of　him；　wasn't　she；　Degarmo？〃　Degarmo　moved　his　foot　on　the　ground。　〃The　sands　are　running　against　you；　fellow；〃　he　said　grimly。　〃Speak　your　little　piece　while　you　can。〃
　　〃Mildred　didn't　positively　have　to　have　Crystal　Kingsley's　car　and　clothes　and　credentials　and　what　not；　but　they　helped。　What　money　she　had　must　have　helped　a　great　deal；　and　Kingsley　says　she　liked　to　have　a　good　deal　of　money　with　her。　Also　she　must　have　had　jewelry　which　could　eventually　be　turned　into　money。　All　this　made　kffling　her　a　rational　as　well　as　an　agreeable　thing　to　do。　That　disposes　of　motive；　and　we　e　to　means　and　opportunity。
　　〃The　opportunity　was　made　to　order　for　her。　She　had　quarreled　with　Bill　and　he　had　gone　off　to　get　drunk。　She　knew　her　Bill　and　how　drunk　he　could　get　and　how　long　he　would　stay　away。　She　needed　time。　Time　was　of　the　essence。　She　had　to　assume　that　there　was　time。　Otherwise　the　whole　thing　flopped。　She　had　to　pack　her　own　clothes　and　take　them　in　her　car　to　Coon　Lake　and　hide　them　there；　because　they　had　to　be　gone。　She　had　to　walk　back。　She　had　to　murder　Crystal　Kingsley　and　dress　her　in　Muriel's　clothes　and　get　her　down　in　the　lake。　All　that　took　time。　As　to　the　murder　itself；　I　imagine　she　got　her　drunk　or　knocked　her　on　the　head　and　drowned　her　in　the　bathtub　in　this　cabin。　That　would　be　logical　and　simple　too。　She　was　a　nurse；　she　knew　how　to　handle　things　like　bodies。　She　knew　how　to　swim…we　have　it　from　Bill　that　she　was　a　fine　swimmer。　And　a　drowned　body　will　sink。　All　she　had　to　do　was　guide　it　down　into　the　deep　water…where　she　wanted　it。　There　is　nothing　in　all　this　beyond　the　powers　of　one　woman　who　could　swim。　She　did　it；　she　dressed　in　Crystal　Kingsley's　clothes；　packed　what　else　of　hers　she　wanted；　got　into　Crystal　Kingsley's　car　and　departed。　And　at　San　Bernardino　she　ran　into　her　first　snag；　Lavery。
　　〃Lavery　knew　her　as　Muriel　Chess。　We　have　no　evidence　and　no　reason　whatever　to　assume　that　he　knew　her　as　anything　else。　He　had　seen　her　up　here　and　he　was　probably　on　his　way　up　here　again　when　he　met　her。　She　wouldn't　want　that。　All　he　would　find　would　be　a　locked　up　cabin　but　he　might　get　talking　to　Bill　and　it　was　part　of　her　plan　that　Bill　should　not　know　positively　that　she　had　ever　left　Little　Fawn　Lake。　So　that　when；　and　if；　the　body　was　found；　he　would　identify　it。　So　she　put　her　hooks　into　Lavery　…at　once；　and　that　wouldn't　be　too　hard。　If　there　is　one　thing　we　know　for　certain　about　Lavery；　it　is　that　he　couldn't　keep　his　hands　off　the　women。　The　more　of　them；　the　better。　He　would　be　easy　for　a　smart　girl　like　Mildred　Haviland。　So　she　played　him　and　took　him　away　with　her。　She　took　him　to　El　Paso　and　there　sent　a　wire　he　knew　nothing　…about。　Finally　she　played　him　back　to　Bay　City。　She　probably　couldn't　help　that。　He　wanted　to　go　home　and　she　couldn't　let　him　get　too　far…　from　her。　Because　Lavery　was　dangerous　to　her。　Lavery　alone　could　destroy　all　the　indications　that　Crystal　Kingsley　had　actually　left　Little　Fawn　Lake。　When　the　search　for　Crystal　Kingsley　eventually　began；　it　had　to　e　to　Lavery；　and　at　that　moment　Lavery's　life　wasn't　worth　a　plugged　nickel。　His　first　denials　might　not　be　believed；　as　they　were　not；　but　when　he　opened　up　with　the　whole　story；　that　would　be　believed；　because　it　could　be　checked。　So　the　search　began　and　immediately　Lavery　was　shot　dead　in　his　bathroom；　the　very　night　after　I　went　down　to　talk　to　him。　That's　about　all　there　is　to　it；　except　why　she　went　back　to　the　house　the　next　morning。　That's　just　one　of　those　things　that　murderers　seem　to　do。　She　said　he　had　taken　her　money；　but　I　don't　believe　it。　I　think　more　likely　she　got　to　thinking　he　had　some　of　his　own　hidden　away；　or　that　she　had　better　edit　the　job　with　a　cool　head　and　make　sure　it　was　all　in　order　and　pointing　the　right　way；　or　perhaps　it　was　just　what　she　said；　and　to　take　in　the　paper　and　the　milk。　Anything　is　possible。　She　went　back　and　I　found　her　there　and　she　put　on　an　act　that　left　me　with　both　feet　in　my　mouth。〃　Patton　said：　〃Who　killed　her；　son？　I　gather　you　don't　like　Kingsley　for　that　little　job。〃　I　looked　…at　Kingsley　and　said：　〃You　didn't　talk　to　her　on　the　phone；　you　said。　What　about　Miss　Fromsett？　Did　she　think　she　was　talking　to　your　wife？〃　Kingsley　shook　his　head。　〃I　doubt　it。　It　would　be　pretty　hard　to　fool　her　that　way。　All　she　said　was　that　she　seemed　very　changed　and　subdued。　I　had　no　suspicion　then。　I　didn't　have　any　until　I　got　up　here。　When　I　walked　into　this　cabin　last　night；　I　felt　there　was　something　wrong。　It　was　too　clean　and　neat　and　orderly。　Crystal　didh't　leave　things　that　way。　There　would　have　been　clothes　all　over　the　bedroom；　cigarette　stubs　all　over　the　house；　bottles　…and　glasses　all　over　the　kitchen。　There　would　have　been　unwashed　dishes　and　ants　and　flies。　I　thought　Bill's　wife　might　have　cleaned　up；　and　then　I　remembered　that　Bill's　wife　wouldn't　have；　not　on　that　particular　day。　She　had　been　too　busy　quarreling　with　Bill　and　being　murdered；　or　mitting　suicide；　whichever　it　was。　I　thought　about　all　this　in　a　confused　sort　of　way；　but　I　don't　claim　I　actually　made　anything　of　it。〃　Patton　got　up　from　his　chair　and　went　out　on　the　porch。　He　came　back　wiping　his　lips　with　his　tan　handkerchief。　He　sat　down　again；　and　eased　himself　over　on　his　left　hip；　on　account　of　the　hip　holst