The Chinese Orange Mystery

“Oh,” said Ellery. Then he said cheerfully: “Well! That’s scarcely an uncommon state of affairs these hectic days, Kirk. The Mandarin is shaky?”

“It’s bad enough: Credits, collections, bookstores going out of business by the score . . . .” Donald shook his head. “We have a terrific amount of money outstanding. For a long time now I’ve been feeding the business cash, in a desperate attempt to save it. Berne’s broke, of course; I don’t know where he spends his money, but he never has any. Things can’t go on this way; business must get better, and when it does we’ll pull out all right, because we’ve got a solid list, thanks chiefly to Berne’s genius for picking winners.

But meanwhile¯” He shook his shoulders in a curious bodily expression of despair.

“But the stamp,” said Ellery gently.

“I’ve been forced to turn a few items from my collection recently into cash. That’s how it came about that¯”

Macgowan turned about and said in metallic tones: “I see all that, Donald, but what I still don’t see is why you sold it under cover that way, putting me in the rotten position of seeming to have . . . Why didn’t you come to me, Donald, for God’s sake?”

“Again?” said the young man laconically.

Macgowan bit his lip. “There was no necessity of¯saying that, Donald. I didn’t mean to¯”

VBut there is.” Kirk rose and faced them tensely. “For some time, Queen¯since I’ve got to clear my conscience and get the record straight¯I’ve been touching Glenn for money. Substantial loans, you understand. Father’s no money of his own; he doesn’t know . . . I haven’t wanted to bother him about¯well, about the mess I’m in. My own fortune has dwindled to the point where it’s impossible for me to raise any more cash. The bulk of it is tied up in frozen assets. They’re quite the most Arctic assets in the world, I suspect.” He grinned without humor. “So¯I’ve been borrowing from Glenn, who’s been more than generous. There’s nothing wrong in that, although I’ve wished a thousand times that I hadn’t been forced to do it. Of course, Glenn has known about my fix all along . . . . But the drain’s terribly severe, Queen¯terribly. And suddenly I needed a lot of cash again¯for various things.” His eyes were half-closed. “The most valuable stamp in my collection was the Foochow, strangely enough. I felt that I couldn’t offer it to Glenn openly for cash when I already owed him so much, and it was the cash I needed. So I used Varjian to sell it to Glenn under cover, since I really wanted him to have it if I couldn’t. That’s all.”

He sat down very abruptly. Miss Temple was studying him with the strangest, serenest, softest interest.

Macgowan muttered: “I see it now, Don. I’m sorry about¯But how about the fact,” he cried, “that the Foochow illustrates one of those damned backwards significances of Queen’s, Donald? Didn’t it occur to you that by making me buy the stamp at this time you were laying me open to all sorts of nasty accusations?”

Donald raised red-rimmed eyes. “Glenn, I give you my word . . . . It never occurred to me. Not for an instant. Oh, lord, Glenn, do you really think I’d have done that deliberately? Maliciously? You can’t think that. Or you, Queen. It wasn’t until you mentioned it that I realized . . . “

He slumped back, exhausted. Macgowan hesitated, his face a study in conflicting emotions, and then went to Kirk and thumped his shoulder and growled: “Forget it, Don. It’s I who’s been the fool. I’ve been a chump throughout. Forget it. You know if there’s anything I can do¯”

“Hmm,” said Ellery. “And now that that’s settled, Kirk, how about the second of my queries?”

“Second?” asked Kirk, blinking.

“Yes. Where did you get the stamp in the first place?”

“Oh!” said the young man instantly. “I bought it. A long time ago.”

“From whom?”

“Some dealer or other. I’ve forgotten.”

“Liar,” said Ellery amiably, and he cupped his hands over a match.

Kirk sank back, scarlet. Big Macgowan was staring from his friend to Ellery, obviously struggling between loyalty and a renascence of suspicion. Miss Temple twisted her handkerchief into a limp ball.

“I don’t know,” said Kirk with difficulty, “what you mean, Queen.”

“Come, come, Kirk,” drawled Ellery, blowing smoke, “you’re lying. Where did you get that Foochow?”

Miss Temple dropped the ball and said: “Mr. Queen¯”

Kirk sprang to his feet. “Jo¯don’t!”

“It’s all right, Donald,” she said quietly. “Mr. Queen, Mr. Kirk is being very chivalrous. It’s quite like the old times. He’s a dear to do it, but it’s really unnecessary. No, Donald, I’ve nothing to conceal. You see, Mr. Queen, Donald got the Foochow from me.”

* * *

“Ah,” said Ellery with a smile, “that’s better. That’s ever so much better. May I point out sententiously that the truth always pays in the long run? I suspected some such situation when I came here. Kirk, you’re a gentleman and a scholar. And now, Miss Temple, suppose you enlighten us further.”

“You don’t really have to, you know, Jo,” said Kirk quickly. “There’s no compulsion . . . .”