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！
suspect。〃
He lifted his eyes and almost smiled。 〃Who thereupon turns as pale as paper； froths at the mouth； and pulls a gun out of his right ear。〃
I sat down near him and got a cigarette out。 〃That's right。 We ought to play it together sometime。 You got a gun？〃
〃Not with me。 I have one。 You know that。〃
〃Have it with you last night when you called on Vannier？〃
He shrugged and bared his teeth。 〃Oh。 Did I call on Vannier last night？〃
〃I think so。 Deduction。 You smoke Benson and Hedges Virginia cigarettes。 They leave a firm ash that keeps its shape。 An ashtray at his house had enough of those little gray rolls to account for at least two cigarettes。 But no stubs in the tray。 Because you smoke them in a holder and a stub from a holder looks different。 So you removed the stubs。 Like it？〃
〃No。〃 His voice was quiet。 He looked down at the floor again。
〃That's an example of deduction。 A bad one。 For there might not have been any stubs； but if there had been and they had been removed； it might have been because they had lipstick on them。 Of a certain shade that would at least indicate the coloring of the smoker。 And your wife has a quaint habit of throwing her stubs into the waste basket。〃
〃Leave Linda out of this；〃 he said coldly。
〃Your mother still thinks Linda took the doubloon and that your story about taking it to give to Alex Morny was just a cover…up to protect her。〃
〃I said leave Linda out of it。〃 The tapping of the black holder against his teeth had a sharp quick sound； like a telegraph key。
〃I'm willing to；〃 I said。 〃But I didn't believe your story for a different reason。 This。〃 I took the doubloon out and held it on my hand under his eyes。
He stared at it tightly。 His mouth set。
〃This morning when you were telling your story this was hocked on Santa Monica Boulevard for safekeeping。 It was sent to me by a would…be detective named George Phillips。 A simple sort of fellow who allowed himself to get into a bad spot through poor judgment and over…eagerness for a job。 A thickset blond fellow in a brown suit； wearing dark glasses and a rather gay hat。 Driving a sand…colored Pontiac； almost new。 You might have seen him hanging about in the hall outside my office yesterday morning。 He had been following me around and before that he might have been following you around。〃
He looked genuinely surprised。 〃Why would he do that？〃 I lit my cigarette and dropped the match in a jade ashtray that looked as if it had never been used as an ashtray。
〃I said he might have。 I'm not sure he did。 He might have just been watching this house。 He picked me up here and I don't think he followed me here。〃 I still had the coin on my hand； looked down at it； turned it over by tossing it； looked at the initials E。 B。 stamped into the left wing； and put it away。 〃He might have been watching the house because he had been hired to peddle a rare coin to an old coin dealer named Morningstar。 And the old coin dealer somehow suspected where the coin came from； and told Phillips； or hinted to him； and that the coin was stolen。 Incidentally； he was wrong about that。 If your Brasher Doubloon is really at this moment upstairs； then the coin Phillips was hired to peddle was not a stolen coin。 It was a counterfeit。〃
His shoulders gave a quick little jerk； as if he was cold Otherwise he didn't move or change position。
〃I'm afraid it's getting to be one of those long stories after all；〃 I said； rather gently。 〃I'm sorry。 I'd better organize it a little better。 It's not a pretty story； because it has two murders in it； maybe three。 A man named Vannier and a man named Teager had an idea。 Teager is a dental technician in the Belfont Building； old Morningstar's building。 The idea was to counterfeit a rare and valuable gold coin； not too rare to be marketable； but rare enough to be worth a lot of money。 The method they thought of was about what a dental technician uses to make a gold inlay。 Requiring the same materials； the same apparatus； the same skills。 That is； to reproduce a model exactly； in gold； by making a matrix in a hard white fine cement called albastone； then making a replica of the model in that matrix in molding wax； plete in the finest detail； then investing the wax； as they call it； in another kind of cement called crystobolite； which has the property of standing great heat without distortion。 A small opening is left from the wax to outside by attaching a steel pin which is withdrawn when the cement sets。 Then the crystobolite casting is cooked over a flame until the wax boils out through this small opening； leaving a hollow mold of the original model。 This is clamped against a crucible on a centrifuge and molten gold is shot into it by centrifugal force from the crucible。 Then the crystobolite； still hot； is held under cold water and it disintegrates； leaving the gold core with a gold pin attached； representing the small opening。 That is trimmed off； the casting is cleaned in acid and polished and you have； in this case； a brand new Brasher Doubloon； made of solid gold and exactly the same as the original。 You get the idea？〃
He nodded and moved a hand wearily across his head。
〃The amount of skill this would take；〃 I went on； 〃would be just what a dental technician would have。 The process would be of no use for a current coinage； if we had a gold coinage； because the material and labor would cost more than the coin would be worth。 But for a gold coin that was valuable through being rare； it would fit fine。 So that's what they did。 But they had to have a model。 That's where you came in。 You took the doubloon all right； but not to give to Morny。 You took it to give to Vannier。 Right？〃
He stared at the floor and didn't speak。
〃Loosen up；〃 I said。 〃In the circumstances it's nothing very awful。 I suppose he promised you money； because you needed it to pay off gambling debts and your mother is close。 But he had a stronger hold over you than that。〃
He looked up quickly then； his face very white； a kind of horror in his eyes。
〃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 bein