1、1BlackmailArthur HaileyThe chief house officer, Ogilvie, who had declared he would appear at the 1Croydons suite an hour after his cryptic telephone call actually took twice that time. As a result the nerves of both the Duke and Duchess were excessively frayed when the muted buzzer of the outer door
2、 eventually sounded.The Duchess went to the door herself. Earlier she had dispatched her maid on an 2invented errand and, cruelly, instructed the moon-faced male secretary who was terrified of dogs to exercise the Bedlington terriers. Her own tension was not lessened by the knowledge that both might
3、 return at any moment.A wave of cigar smoke accompanied Ogilvie in. When he had followed her to the 3living room, the Duchess looked pointedly at the half-burned cigar in the fat mans mouth. “My husband and I find strong smoke offensive. Would you kindly put that out.“The house detectives piggy eyes
4、 surveyed her sardonically from his gross jowled 4face. His gaze moved on to sweep the spacious, well-appointed room, encompassing the Duke who faced them uncertainly, his back to a window.“Pretty neat set-up you folks got.” Taking his time, Ogilvie removed the 5offending cigar, knocked off the ash
5、and flipped the butt toward an ornamental fireplace on his right. He missed, and the butt fell upon the carpet where he ignored it.The Duchesss lips tightened. She said sharply, imagine you did not come here to 6discuss dcor “. The obese body shook in an appreciative chuckle . “No, maam, cant say I
6、did. I 7like nice things, though.“ He lowered the level of his incongruous falsetto voice.“ Like that car of yours. The one you keep here in the hotel. Jaguar, aint it?“Aah!“ It was not a spoken word, but an emission of breath from the Duke of 82Croydon. His wife shot him a swift, warning glance.“In
7、 what conceivable way does our car concern you?” 9As if the question from the Duchess had been a signal, the house detectives 10manner changed. He inquired abruptly, “Who else is in this place?“It was the Duke who answered, “No one. We sent them out.“11“Theres things it pays to check.“ Moving with s
8、urprising speed, the fat man 12walked around the suite, opening doors and inspecting the space behind them. Obviously he knew the room arrangement well. After reopening and closing the outer door, he returned, apparently satisfied, to the living room.The Duchess had seated herself in a straight-back
9、ed Ogilvie remained standing. 13“Now then,“ he said. “You two was in the hit-n-run .“14She met his eyes directly.“ What are you talking about?“15“Dont play games, lady. This is for real.“ He took out a fresh cigar and bit off the 16end, “You saw the papers. Theres been plenty on radio, too.“Two high
10、 points of color appeared in the paleness of the Duchess of Croydons 17cheeks. “What you are suggesting is the most disgusting, ridiculous.“I told you Cut it out!” The words spat forth with sudden savagery , all pretense 18of blandness gone. Ignoring the Duke, Ogilvie waved the unlighted cigar under
11、 his adversary s adversary s nose. “You listen to me, your high-an-mightiness. This citys burnin mad cops, mayor, everybody else. When they find who done that last night, who killed that kid an its mother, then high-tailed it, theyll throw the book, and never mind who it hits, or whether they got fa
12、ncy titles neither. Now I know what I know, and if I do what by rights I should, therell be a squad of cops in here so fast youll hardly see em. But I come to you first, in fairness, sos you could tell your side of it to me.“ The piggy eyes blinked, then hardened. “ f you want it the other way, just
13、 say so.“3The Duchess of Croydon three centuries and a half of inbred arrogance behind 19her did not yield easily. Springing to her feet, her face wrathful, gray-green eyes blazing, she faced the grossness of the house detective squarely. Her tone would have withered anyone who knew her well. “You u
14、nspeakable blackguard! How dare you!”Even the self-assurance of Ogilvie flickered for an instant. But it was the Duke of 20Croydon who interjected, “Its no go, old girl. Im afraid. It was a good try.“ Facing Ogilvie, he said, “What you accuse us of is true. I am to blame. I was driving the car and k
15、illed the little girl.“Thats more like it,“ Ogilvie said. He lit the fresh cigar. “Now were getting 21somewhere.“Wearily, in a gesture of surrender, the Duchess of Croydon sank back into her 22chair. Clasping her hands to conceal their trembling, she asked. “What is it you know?“Well now, Ill spell
16、it out.“ The house detective took his time, leisurely putting a 23cloud of blue cigar smoke, his eyes sardonically on the Duchess as if challenging her objection. But beyond wrinkling her nose in distaste, she made no comment.Ogilvie pointed to the Duke. “Last night, early on, you went to Lindys Pla
17、ce in 24Irish Bayou. You drove there in your fancy Jaguar, and you took a lady friend. Leastways, I guess youd call her that if youre not too fussy.“As Ogilvie glanced, grinning, at the Duchess, the Duke said sharply, “Get on with 25it!“Well“ the smug fat face swung back “the way I hear it, you won
18、a hundred at 26the tables, then lost it at the bar. You were into a second hundred with a real swinging party when your wife here got there in a taxi. “How do you know all this?“27“Ill tell you, Duke Ive been in this town and this hotel a long time. I got friends 284all over. I oblige them; they do
19、the same for me, like letting me know what gives, an where. There aint much, out of the way, which people who stay in this hotel do, I dont get to hear about. Most of em never know I know, or know me. They think they got their little secret tucked away , and so they have except like now.“The Duke sa
20、id coldly, “I see.“29“One thing Id like to know. I got a curious nature, ma am. Howd you figure 30where he was?“The Duchess said, “You know so much. I suppose it doesnt matter. My husband 31has a habit of making notes while he is telephoning. Afterward he often forgets to destroy them. ”The house de
21、tective clucked his tongue reprovingly . “A little careless habit like 32that, Duke look at the mess it gets you in. Well, heres what I figure about the rest. You an your wife took off home, you drivin, though the way things turned out it might have been better if shed have drove.“My wife doesnt dri
22、ve.“33Ogilvie nodded understandingly. “Explains that one. Anyway, I reckon you were 34lickered ( = liquored ) up, but good.“The Duchess interrupted. “Then you dont know! You dont know anything for 35sure! You cant possibly prove.“Lady, I can prove all I need to.“36The Duke cautioned, “Better let him
23、 finish, old girl.“37“Thats right,“ Ogilvie said. “Just sit an listen. Last night I seen you come in 38through the basement, sos not to use the lobby. Looked right shaken, too, the pair of you. Just come in myself, an I got to wondering why. Like I said, I got a curious nature.“The Duchess breathed,
24、 “Go on.“395“Late last night the word was out about the hit-n-run. On a hunch I went over the 40garage and took a quiet look-see at your car. You maybe dont know its away in a corner, behind a pillar where the jockeys dont see it when theyre comin by.“The Duke licked his lips. “I suppose that doesnt
25、 matter now.“41“You might have something there,“ Ogilvie conceded. “Anyway, what I found 42made me do some scouting - across at police headquarters where they know me too.“ He paused to puff again at the cigar as his listeners waited silently. When the cigar tip was glowing he inspected it, then con
26、tinued. “Over there they got three things to go on. They got a headlight trim ring which musta come off when the kid an the woman was hit. They got some headlight glass, and lookin at the kids clothin, they reckon therell be a brush trace. “A what?“43“You rub clothes against something hard, Duchess,
27、 specially if its shiny like a car 44fender, say, an it leaves a mark the same way as finger prints. The police lab kin pick it up like they do prints dust it, an it shows.“Thats interesting,“ the Duke said, as if speaking of something unconnected with 45himself. “I didnt know that.“Not many do. In
28、this case, though, I reckon it dont make a lot o difference. On 46your car you got a busted headlight, and the trim rings gone. Aint any doubt theyd match up, even without the brush trace an the blood. 0h yeah, I should a told you. Theres plenty of blood, though it dont show too much on the black pa
29、int.“Oh, my God!“ A hand to her face, the Duchess turned away.47Her husband asked, “What do you propose to do?“48The fat man rubbed his hands together, looking down at his thick, fleshy fingers. 49“Like I said, I come to hear your side of it.“The Duke said despairingly, “What can I possibly say? You
30、 know what 506happened.” He made an attempt to square his shoulders which did not succeed. “Youd better call the police and get it over.”“Well now, theres no call for being hasty .” The incongruous falsetto voice took 51on a musing note. “Whats dones been done. Rushing any place aint gonna bring bac
31、k the kid nor its mother neither. Besides, what theyd do to you across at the headquarters, Duke, you wouldnt like. No sir, you wouldnt like it at all.”The other two slowly raised their eyes.52“I was hoping,” Ogilvie said, “that you folks could suggest something.”53The Duke said uncertainly, “I dont
32、 understand.”54“I understand,” the Duchess of Croydon said. “You want money, dont you? You 55came here to blackmail us.”If she expected her words to shock, they did not succeed. The house detective 56shrugged. “Whatever names you call things, maam, dont matter to me. All I come for was to help you p
33、eople out of trouble. But I got to live too.”Youd accept money to keep silent about what you know?”57”I reckon I might.”58”But from what you say,” the Duchess pointed out, her poise for the moment 59recovered, “it would do no good. The car would be discovered in any case.”I guess youd have to take t
34、hat chance. But theres some reasons it might not be. 60Something I aint told you yet.”“Tell us now, please.”61Ogilvie said, “I aint figured this out myself completely. But when you hit that kid 62you was going away from town, not to it.”Wed made a mistake in the route,” the Duchess said. “Somehow we
35、d become 63turned around. Its easily done in New Orleans, with the street winding as they do. 7Afterward, using side streets, we went back. “I thought it might be that,” Ogilvie nodded understandingly. “But the police aint 64figured it that way. Theyre looking for somebody who was headed out. Thats
36、why, right now, theyre workin on the suburbs and the outside towns. They may get around to searchin downtown, but it wont be yet. “How long before they do?”65“Maybe three, four days. They got a lot of other places to look first.”66“ How could that help us - the delay?”67“It might,” Ogilvie said. “Pr
37、ovidin nobody twigs the car an seein where it is, 68you might be lucky there. An if you can get it away.”“You mean out of the state?”69“I mean out o the South.”70“That wouldnt be easy?”71“No, maam. Every state around Texas, Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, all the 72restll be watching for a car damag
38、ed the way yours is.”The Duchess considered. “Is there any possibility of having repairs made first? If 73the work were done discreetly we could pay well. “The house detective shook his head emphatically. “You try that, you might as 74well walk over to headquarters right now an give up. Every repair
39、 shop in Louisianas been told to holler cops the minute a car needing fixin like yours comes in. Theyd do it, too. You people are hot.”The Duchess of Croydon kept firm, tight rein on her racing mind. It was essential, 75she knew, that her thinking remain calm and reasoned. In the last few minutes th
40、e conversation had become as seemingly casual as if the discussion were of some minor domestic matter and not survival itself. She intended to keep it that way. Once more, she was aware, the role of leadership had fallen to her, her husband now a tense but 8passive spectator of the exchange between
41、the evil tat man and herself. No matter. What was inevitable must be accepted. The important thing was to consider all eventualities. A thought occurred to her.“The piece from our car which you say the police have. What is it called?”76“A trim ring.”77“Is it traceable?”78Ogilvie nodded affirmatively
42、. “They can figure what kind o car its from - make, 79model, an maybe the year, or close to it. Same thing with the glass. But with your car being foreign, itll likely take a few days.”“But after that,” she persisted, “the police will know theyre looking for a 80Jaguar?”“I reckon that s so. “81Today
43、 was Tuesday. From all that this man said, they had until Friday or 82Saturday at best. With calculated coolness the Duchess reasoned: the situation came down to one essential. Assuming the hotel man was bought off, their only chance - a slim one - lay in removing the car quickly, If it could be got
44、 north, to one of the big cities where the New Orleans tragedy and search would be unknown, repairs could be made quietly, the incriminating evidence removed. Then, even if suspicion settled on the Croydons later, nothing could be proved. But how to get the car away?Undoubtedly what this oafish dete
45、ctive said was true: As well as Louisiana, the 83other states through which the car would have to pass would be alert and watchful. Every highway patrol would be on the lookout for a damaged head-light with a missing trim ring. There would probably be road-blocks. It would be hard not to fall victim
46、 to some sharpeyed policeman.But it might be done. If the car could be driven at night and concealed by day. 84There were plenty of places to pull off the highway and be unobserved. It would be hazardous, but no more than waiting here for certain detection. There would be back 9roads. They could cho
47、ose an unlikely route to avoid attention.But there would be other complications . and now was the time to consider them. 85Traveling by secondary roads would be difficult unless knowing the terrain. The Croydons did not. Nor was either of them adept at using maps. And when they stopped for petrol, a
48、s they would have to, their speech and manner would betray them, making them conspicuous . And yet . these were risks which had to be taken.Or had they?86The Duchess faced Ogilvie. “How much do you want?”87The abruptness took him by surprise. “Well . I figure you people are pretty well 88fixed.”She said coldly, “I asked how much.”89The piggy eyes blinked. Ten thousand dollars.”90Though it was twice what she had expected, her expression did not change. 91“Assuming we paid this grotesque amount, what would we receive in return?”The fat man seemed puzzled. “Like I said, I keep quiet about what I
