Figure it Out For Yourself

It was my lucky night. At the back of the house I found an unlatched window. I eased it open, put my head into darkness and listened. I heard nothing. I groped in my hip pocket and pulled out Paula's flashlight. The battery was on the blink, but the light was strong enough for me to see I was looking into the passage, leading to the ball.

Very carefully I hoisted myself up, climbed through the window, closed it and soft-footed down the passage to the hall.

The house was very still and silent. I stood listening for a few moments before going into the lounge. I shut the door.

The telephone stood on a table by the settee. I sat down lifted the receiver off its cradle and dialled Muffin's borne number.

I sat listening to the burr-burr-burr on the line, listening also for any sound upstairs.

There came a click on the line and Muffin's voice growled 'Hello.'

'I've found him,' I said, my mouth close to the mouthpiece 'He's at Ocean End. How soon can you get over here?'

'You're sure?' Mifflin's voice shot up with excitement.

'Yeah; I'm sure. I've seen him. Now listen, Tim. Collect Paula and Mrs. Dedrick. I want them as witnesses. Park your car before you reach the house. You'll have to get over the wall. Don't touch the gates. Come up to the terrace, and don't show yourselves until I call you. Tell Paula to get everything he says. Okay?'

'You're really sure he's there?' Muffin asked.

'I'll lose my badge if I break into that woman's house...'

'Forget your badge! Get moving. I'll have the two girls ready for you by the time you reach Paula's apartment. I expect you in twenty minutes,' and I hung up before he could protest.

Next I dialled Paula's number.

'Throw your clothes on,' I said when she answered the phone. 'Get Mrs. Dedrick up too. Muffin's calling for you in about ten minutes. I want you ever at Ocean End. I've found Dedrick.'

Paula said she would be ready. She didn't waste time asking questions.

I hung up and lit a cigarette. I was sweating with excitement. Somewhere in the silent room a clock ticked busily. I swung my legs up on the settee and tried to keep calm. With any luck, this would be the end of the case. By tomorrow, if it worked out the way I hoped it would, Perelli would be free.

I closed my eyes. It seemed a long time since I had any sleep. A lot had happened since Maxie had given me the pass-key to Barratt's apartment. It seemed almost too good to be true that within an hour the thing would be finished.

Then suddenly from somewhere upstairs there came a single choked bang of a gun.

I was off the settee across the room and bad the door open before the echo of the shot had ceased to roll through the silent house.

I stood in the hail, staring Into the darkness, listening. A door opened. A light flashed up. Someone ran along the gallery above me, past the head of the stairs. I caught a fleeting glimpse of a woman in a blue silk wrap. Another door opened; then a wild, horrified scream rang out. I sprang forward, mounted the stairs three at the time, reached the gallery as another scream sounded from a lighted doorway at the end of the gallery.

I ran down the gallery, paused outside the door and looked into the room: Dedrick's room.

Serena was bending over the bed, frantically shaking his shoulder as he lay still and silent on the bed. 'Lee!' she was screaming. What have you done? Lee! My darling! Speak to me!' I went quickly into the room. One brief look at the man on the bed told me he was dead. The side of his head was smashed in, and blood ran down his face on to his white shirt.

I caught hold of Serena's arm.

'All right,' I said sharply. 'You can't do anything.'

She spun round, her face white and her eyes glazed with, horror, to stare at me. She started to scream, raised her hands as if to push me away, then her eyes rolled back and she fell into my arms in a faint.

I lowered her gently to the floor, bent over the dead man. A .38 Colt automatic lay on the bed by his right hand. Smoke still drifted from the barrel. There was a fixed, grinning look of terror on his face, and I could see the powder burns on his skin.

'What's happened?'

I turned.

Wadlock, in a faded red dressing-gown, his hair standing on ends, stood in the doorway.

'He's shot himself,' I said curtly. 'Let's get Mrs. Dedrick out of here.'

I bent over her, lifted her and carried her out of the room.

Wadlock stood aside, his old grey face twitching.

I carried Serena down the stairs and into the lounge and laid her on the settee.

'Open the casement doors and let's get some air in here,' I said as Wadlock switched on the lights.

While he was opening the doors leading on to the terrace I poured a stiff whisky into a glass and returned to Serena.

As I knelt beside her, she opened her eyes.

'Take it easy,' I said. 'Here, have some of this.'

She pushed my hand away and half sat up.

'Lee.'

'Now, look, you can't help him. No one can help him. Just take it easy.'

She dropped back on the pillow and hid her face in her hands.