The Chinese Orange Mystery

“Quite a hold, eh? One the Strangler would be proud of . . . . I don’t know precisely how she first got wind of it, but somehow she found out¯probably through the intercession of some underworld intermediary¯and negotiated with Cullinan, who had drifted back to Paris and was of course on his uppers, for the sale of the letters and the marriage certificate. The letters incidentally tell enough of the story to permit a complete reconstruction of what happened . . . . Then Miss Irene Llewes came to the Hotel Chancellor, making the crossing from France for the sole purpose of squeezing Donald Kirk to within an inch of his last dollar. What happened then is history. Poor Kirk was caught properly¯”

“Macgowan, of course,” said the old gentleman gloomily.

“Precisely. In the meantime Marcella, with the resilience of youth, had rehabilitated herself. No one suspected. She’d almost forgotten the whole dreary horrible business. And then Macgowan, Kirk’s best friend, suddenly realized that Donald had a beautiful grown-up sister. It developed into a romance; they were engaged. Next scene: the Llewes creature turns up and Kirk was in for it with a vengeance.”

“Doesn’t Marcella Kirk know what’s been going on?”

“Not the faintest vestige of the breath of a minute suspicion, as far as I can make out. From the internal evidence of the letters she seems to have gone half-potty from the pressure of conscience and shame¯I mean during the time she was pregnant. I suppose Kirk has felt that a reopening of the mess would put the finishing touch on her. And then Macgowan, for all his worldliness, is a puritanical soul, and he comes from one of those blue-plush-and-carryall families who would insist on his breaking off the engagement at the first breath of scandal. Poor Kirk has had his hands full.”

“And the ice he gave Sewell?”

“Blackmail. It wasn’t what she had expected, but she made the best of it. Wasn’t so bad, since she’s specialized in gem swindles and probably has connections with ‘fences’ in Amsterdam . . . . He had to give her parts of his collection, you see, because unfortunately he was in straitened circumstances when she popped onto the scene. He gave her what cash he could scrape together and then when the cash gave out¯he even borrowed from Macgowan in his desperation¯he gave the woman jewels from his collection. What she got makes a sizeable sack, I’ll tell you that. But then you saw it yourself.”

“And she forced him to write that note to cover her up in case something went wrong,” mused the Inspector. “Smart. I s’pose the touch about asking her to marry him in the note was another little nest-egg for the future¯if he ever recovered financially she’d sue him for breach of promise. But when the murder occurred and the police started nosing around, she got a little scared and generously handed Kirk over to his new lady-love. Well, well! So now where are we?”

“As regards the murder?” murmured Ellery.

“Sure.”

Ellery rose and went to the window. “I don’t know,” he said in a puzzled way. “I really don’t. And yet I have a fugitive idea¯”

“Sa-a-ay!” The Inspector bounced from his chair, wildly excited. “Oh, what fools we are! Listen to this, El; just listen to this.” He began to trot about the room, hands gripped behind his back, head low. “Just struck me. It all ties in. Swell! Listen. The bird who was bumped off at the Chancellor was Marcella Kirk’s boy-friendl”

Ellery said slowly: “You’ve caught the fugitive. You think so?”

“Well, isn’t it a perfect set-up?” The Inspector waved his spindly arms about. “Here’s a man on his uppers; we can’t trace him here; Marcella’s man hung out in Paris; it’s possible . . . . He came over here to put the screws on Kirk himself, see? Soon as he got off the boat; there was a boat from France that day . . . . He’s desperate, see; he was afraid before, with the girl having a kid, and all that; but he needs money bad, and he’s decided to go back for more. He beats it to the Chancellor to see Kirk . . . . Great!” Then his face fell. “But Kirk should have recognized him, if he’s the one. Maybe¯”

“Curiously enough/’ muttered Ellery, “Kirk never met Cullinan. He paid the man off by mail.”

“But then there’s Marcella . . . . She fainted, didn’t you say, when she first got a look at the dead man?”

“Yes, but that may have been merely shock.”

“At the same time, if it was the Parisian guy,” mused the Inspector in a fierce undertone, “she naturally would shut up; naturally wouldn’t admit she knew him. Didn’t the Sewell woman know Cullinan by sight, either?”

“She says she saw him only once, and then under unfavorable circumstances. She can’t be sure of anything, she maintains. Yes, yes, it’s a possibility; no doubt about it.”

“I like it,” said the Inspector with a ferocious grin. “I like it, El. It ties in. First time in this blasted case I’ve got the feeling of co¯co¯what d’ye call it?”

“Cohesion?”