Death Times Three SSC Read online

  "When?"

  "Two days ago."

  Wolfe's brows went up. "Two days?"

  "Yes. Monday morning Philip called at my office. I had never seen him since he was a month old, but he established his identity, and he had copies with him of those records. He demanded a million dollars." Judd's voice rose. "A million!"

  "What was the screw, a threat to publish?"

  "Oh, no. He was smoother than that. He said he came to me only because his adopted father would allow him nothing but a pittance--he said 'pittance'--and had disinherited him in his will. Arthur had been fool enough to let him read the will, rubbing it in, I suppose, and the bequest of the locked box to me had made him smell a rat. He had stolen the box from the safe and got it open, and there it was. His threat was not to publish, but to sue me and my sister for damages, for abandoning him as an infant, which of course amounted to the same thing, but that put a face on it. And was something we could not allow to happen under any circumstances, and he knew it."

  Wolfe said, "So why didn't you pay him?"

  "Because it was outrageous. You don't just hand out a million dollars."

  "I don't, but you could."

  "I didn't. And I wanted a guaranty that that would end it. For one thing I had to be sure I was getting all the original records, and Arthur was the only one who could satisfy me on that, and he would see me Monday. I put Philip off for a day. The next morning, yesterday, Arthur phoned me that the box was gone from the safe, but even then he wouldn't come to my office or meet me somewhere, so I had to go to him."

  I looked up from the notebook with a grin, "Yeah, and I met you coming out. When I put that chalk--"

  He rudely went on without even glancing at me. "I went to his office and told him of Philip's demand and threat. He was enraged. He thought Philip could be brow-beaten into surrendering the box, and I didn't. What I proposed--but I couldn't do anything with him. He would have it his way. It was left that he would talk with Philip that afternoon, and the three of us would have it out the next morning, Wednesday--that would have been today--in his office. I had to accept--"

  "That won't do," Wolfe said bluntly. "Don't try any dodging now."

  "I'm not. I am telling you."

  "A lie, Mr. Judd. It's no good. You three were to meet at Tingley's office Tuesday evening, not Wednesday morning. And you went there--"

  I missed the rest. The doorbell rang, and I went to attend to it, because Fritz wasn't being permitted to exert himself. A peep through the glass showed me a phiz only too well known, so I slipped the chain on before I opened the door to the extent of the six inches which the chain permitted.

  "We don't need any," I said offensively.

  "Go to hell," I was told gruffly. "I want to see Guthrie Judd. He's here."

  "How do you know?"

  "So informed at his home. Take off that damn' chain--"

  "He might have got run over on the way. Be seated while I find out." I went to the office and told Wolfe, "Inspector Cramer wants to see Judd. Was told at his home that he had come here."

  Judd, quick on the trigger, spoke up: "I want your assurance."

  "You won't get it," Wolfe snapped. "Bring Mr. Cramer in."

  I went back out and slipped the chain and swung the door open, and Cramer made for the office with me following.

  After using grunts for greetings he stood and spoke down to Judd: "This is a confidential matter. Very confidential. If you want to come--"

  Judd glanced at Wolfe from the corner of his eye. Wolfe cleared his throat.

  Judd said, "Sit down. Go ahead."

  "But I warn you, Mr. Judd, it is extremely--"

  "He has answered you," Wolfe said. "Please make it as brief as possible."

  "I see." Cramer looked from one to the other. "Like that, huh? Suits me." He sat down and placed the leather bag on the floor in front of him, and hunched over and released the catches and opened it. He straightened up to look at Judd. "A special-delivery parcel-post package addressed to me by name was delivered at police headquarters about an hour ago." He bent and got an object from the bag. "This was in it. May I ask, have you ever seen it before?"

  Judd said, "No."

  Cramer's eyes moved. "Have you, Wolfe? You, Goodwin?"

  Wolfe shook his head. I said, "Not guilty."

  Cramer shrugged. "As you see, it's a metal box with a lock. On the top the letters 'GX' have been roughly engraved, probably with the point of a knife. The first thing about it is this: A box of this description, including the 'GX' on its top, was left to you by Arthur Tingley in his will. The police commissioner asked you about it this afternoon, and you stated you knew nothing of such a box and had no idea what it might contain. Is that correct, Mr. Judd?"

  "It is," Judd acknowledged. "Hombert told me the will said the box would be found in the safe in Tingley's office, and it wasn't there."

  "That's right. The second thing is the lock has been forced. It was like that when the package was opened. The third thing is the contents." Cramer regarded Judd. "Do you want me to keep right on?"

  "Go ahead."

  "Very well." Cramer lifted the lid.

  "Item one, a pair of baby shoes." He held them up for inspection.

  "Item two, a printed statement of condition of your banking firm. As of June 30, 1939. A circle has been made, with pen and ink, around your name, and a similar circle around the sum of the total resources, $230,000,000 and something."

  He returned the folder to the box and produced the next exhibit. "Item three, a large manila envelope. It was sealed, but the wax has been broken and the flap slit open. On the outside, in Arthur Tingley's handwriting, is this inscription: 'Confidential. In case of my decease, to be delivered intact to Mr. Guthrie Judd. Arthur Tingley.'

  Judd had a hand extended. "Then it's mine." His

  tone was sharp and peremptory. "And you opened it--"

  "No, sir; I didn't." Cramer hung onto the envelope.

  "It had already been opened. It is unquestionably your property, and eventually no doubt it will be surrendered to you, but we'll keep it for the present. Under the circumstances. It contains the birth certificate of `Baby Philip,' dated September 18, 1911, four pages from the records of the Ellen James Home regarding the sojourn in that institution of a young woman named Martha Judd, and a written statement, holograph, dated July 9, 1936, signed by Arthur Tingley. Also, a certificate of the legal adoption of Philip Tingley by Arthur Tingley, dated May 11, 1915. If you wish to inspect these documents now, in my presence --"

  "No," Judd snapped. "I demand the immediate surrender of the box and its contents to me."

  Cramer shook his head. "For the present, sir--" "I'll replevy."

  "I doubt if you can. Evidence in a murder case--"

  "That has nothing to do with Tingley's murder."

  "I hope it hasn't." Cramer sounded as if he meant it. "I'm only a cop and you know what you are. A man in your position and a thing like this. It was too hot for the district attorney and he wished it onto me. So it's a job, and that's that. You have a sister named Martha. Was she at the Ellen James Home in the year 1911?"

  "It would have been sensible of you," Judd said icily, "to follow the district attorney's example." He aimed a finger at the box. "I want that, and demand it."

  "Yeah, I heard you before. I can get tough, you know, even with you. Let's try this. You said it wasn't you that entered the Tingley Building at seven-thirty yesterday evening. Do you still say that?"

  "Yes."

  "We're taking your chauffeur down to headquarters."

  Judd made a contemptuous noise.

  "Also Philip Tingley. You might as well come down off your horse. Somebody's going to talk; don't think they won't. If you expect "

  The phone rang. I answered it, and learned that Sergeant Foster wished to speak to Inspector Cramer. Cramer came to my desk to take it. About all he did for two minutes was listen and grunt. At the end he said, "Bring him here to Nero Wolfe's place," and hung u
p.

  "If you don't object," he said to Wolfe.

  "To what?" Wolfe demanded.

  "A little talk with Philip Tingley. They found him over in his kitchen tied up and gagged."

  I have got, and always will have, a soft spot in my heart for Philip Tingley. Consider the situation from his standpoint when he entered Nero Wolfe's office at seven o'clock that Wednesday evening. Two burly detectives were right behind him. He was surrounded by the enemy. His jaw was swollen, his head must have been fuzzy, and he was wobbly on his pins. He knew I was stronger than he was. And yet, by gum, the minute he caught sight of me he power-dived at me as if all he asked was to plant one bomb! That's the spirit that wins ball games.

  The dicks jumped for him. I hastily arose, but they got him and held him.

  "What the hell?" Cramer inquired.

  "It's a private matter," I explained, sitting down. "It. was me that fixed his jaw and tied him up. That has no bearing--"

  I got on my feet again. With one mighty, spasmodic heave of his bony frame Philip had busted loose and was on the move. But not toward me; he had changed his objective. What he was after was the metal box on Cramer's knees. He not only grabbed for it, but he got it. The dicks went for him again, this time with more fervor. One of them retrieved the box and the other one slammed him down. I went to help, and we picked him up and shoved him into a chair. Panting like a polar bear on a hot day, he glared at us, but quit trying.

  "Whistle for help," Cramer said sarcastically. He looked at me. "You say you fixed his jaw? Let's take that first."

  I started to explain, but Philip took the floor again, this time verbally. He had seen Judd. "You!" he yelled. "You got it! You killed him and took it! And you framed me! You had her say she was coming to see me, and you sent that man--"

  "Shut up!" I told him. "Judd never sent me anywhere and never will. She did come to see you, but she saw me instead."

  "He got the box!"

  "You damned idiot," Judd said bitterly. "You'll cook your goose--"

  "That'll do," Cramer growled. "If--"

  "You can't bully me, Inspector --"

  "The hell I can't. If you don't like it, go hire a lawyer. Hang onto that box, Foster." Cramer regarded Philip. "You recognize it?"

  "Yes! It's mine!"

  "You don't say so. When and where did you see it before?"

  "I saw it when I-"

  "Don't be a fool," Judd snapped. He stood up. "Come with me. I'll see you through this. Keep your mouth shut."

  "You're too late, Mr. Judd." It was Nero Wolfe taking a hand. "Either keep still or go home. You're licked."

  "I have never been licked."

  "Pfui! You are now. And this is my house you're in. If you try interrupting me, Mr. Goodwin will throw you out with enthusiasm." Wolfe turned to Philip: "Mr. Tingley, I'm afraid you're holding the short end of the stick. The police have got the box. Its contents are known, so you have no lever to use on Mr. Judd. And you're deep in another hole, too. Mr. Judd, who advises you to keep your mouth shut, has himself been talking. We know of your call on him Monday and the demands you made; and of the copies you showed him of the contents of that box; and of your talk with Arthur Tingley yesterday afternoon; and of the arrangement he made for you and Mr. Judd to come to his office last evening--"

  Philip snarled at Judd. "You dirty rat

  Wolfe sailed over it. "Also, we know that you went there. You walked to the building in the rain, wearing a raincoat, entered at twenty minutes to eight, and came out again seven minutes later. What did you see inside? What did you do?"

  "Don't answer him," Judd commanded sharply. "He's only-"

  "Save it," Philip told him in harsh contempt. He looked sullenly at Wolfe. "Yes, I went there, and I went in, and I saw him there dead on the floor."

  "What--?" Cramer began blurting, but Wolfe stopped him: "I'll do this ..... Mr. Tingley, I beg you to reflect. I may know more than you think I do. You got there at seven-forty--is that right?"

  "About that, yes."

  "And Tingley was dead?"

  "Yes."

  "What if I have evidence that he was alive at eight O'clock?"

  "You couldn't have. He was dead when I got there." "Was Amy Duncan there?"

  "Yes. She was on the floor unconscious."

  "Did you see anyone else anywhere in the build-mg?

  "Where did you go besides Tingley's office?" "Nowhere. I went straight there and straight out." "You were there seven minutes. What did you do?" "I--" Philip halted and shifted in his chair. "I felt

  Amy's pulse. I wanted to get her out of there--but I

  didn't dare--and she was breathing all right and her

  pulse was pretty good. Then I--" He stopped. "Yes? You what?"

  "I looked for the box. The safe door was standing open, but it wasn't in there. I looked a few other places, and then I heard Amy move, or thought I did, and I left. Anyway, I thought Judd had been there and killed him and taken the box, so I didn't hope to find it. So I left."

  Wolfe was scowling at him. "Are you aware," he demanded, "of what you're saying? Are your wits working?"

  "You're damned right they are."

  "Nonsense. You had previously stolen the box from the safe and had it in your possession. How could you have been looking for it in that office last evening?"

  "I didn't have it in my possession."

  "Oh, come. Don't be ass enough--"

  "Good." He wiggled a finger at Sergeant Foster. "Let me have that box."

  Foster handed him the box.

  Wolfe looked at Philip Tingley: "When you stole this from the safe you had no key for it. So you had to pry it open?"

  "No," Philip denied, "I didn't pry it open."

  "The metal is gouged and twisted --"

  "I can't help that. I didn't do it. I suppose Judd did. I took it to a locksmith and told him I had lost my key, and had him make one that would open it."

  "Then it was locked yesterday afternoon?" "Yes."

  "Good." Wolfe looked pleased with himself. "That settles it, I think. Let's see." Whereupon he grasped the box firmly in both hands and shook it violently from side to side. His attitude suggested that he was listening for something, but the banging of the shoes against the metal sides of the box was all there was to hear. He nodded with satisfaction. "That's fine," he declared.

  "Nuts," Cramer said.

  "By no means. Some day, Mr. Cramer--but no, I suppose never. I would like a few words with you and Archie. If your men will take these gentlemen to the front room?"

  When they were shut off by the sound-proofed door Cramer advanced on Wolfe with his jaw leading the way. "Look here "

  "No," Wolfe said decisively. "I tolerate your presence here and that's all. Take a guest from my house with a warrant, will you? I want to know what has been removed from Mr. Tingley's office."

  "I say I didn't have it. I had had it. I didn't have it then. He went to my place and found it and took it." "Who did? When?"

  "My half-brother. Arthur Tingley. He went to my flat yesterday afternoon--I don't know how he got in and found it."

  So that, I thought, turning a page of my notebook, was the errand that had called Tingley away from his office when I had gone there to interview him about quinine.

  Wolfe asked, "How do you know that?"

  "Because he told me. He had the box there in the safe yesterday afternoon."

  "Are you telling me that at five o'clock yesterday afternoon that box was in Tingley's safe in his office?" "I am."

  "And when you returned two hours later, at seven-forty, it was gone?"

  "It was. Judd had been there. Judd had taken it. And if the lousy ape thinks he can--"

  "Be quiet, please," Wolfe said testily. He closed his eyes.

  We sat. Wolfe's lips were moving, pushing out and then drawing in again. Judd started to say something, and Cramer shushed him. The inspector knew the signs as well as I did.

  Wolfe's eyes opened, but they were directed, not at
Judd or Philip, but at me. "What time," he asked, "did it begin raining yesterday?"

  "I said, "Seven P.M."

  "Seven precisely?"

  "Maybe a little after. Not much."

  "Not even a drizzle before that?"

  "No."

  "But if Judd--"

  "No. Take them if you want to, get them out of here, and I'll proceed alone."