Читаем The Roman Hat Mystery полностью

Morgan sat quietly for several minutes while Queen stared patiently at him and Ellery sighed. Then he looked up and began to speak in a passionate undertone.

“I’m sorry, Inspector,” he muttered, glancing away. “I might have known that a threat like that would be remembered by somebody... Yes, it’s true enough. We had lunch one day in the Webster Club at Field’s suggestion. As far as I was concerned, the less I had to do with him socially the better I liked it. But the purpose of the luncheon was to go over some last details of the dissolution, and of course I had no choice... I’m afraid I lost my temper. I did make a threat against his life, but it was — well, it was said in the heat of an angry moment. I forgot the whole thing before the week was over.”

The Inspector nodded sagely. “Yes, things do happen like that sometimes. But” — and Morgan licked his lips in despairing anticipation — “a man doesn’t threaten another man’s life, even if he doesn’t mean it, merely over a matter of business detail.” He leveled his finger at Morgan’s shrinking body. “Come on now, man — out with it. What are you holding back?”

Morgan’s entire body had gone flaccid. His lips were ashy as he turned from one Queen to the other, mute appeal in his eyes. But their glances were inexorable and Ellery, who was regarding him much as a vivisectionist regards a guinea pig, interrupted.

“My dear Morgan,” he said coldly, “Field had something on you, and he thought that that was a good time to tell you about it. It’s as obvious as the red in your eye.”

“You’ve guessed it in part, Mr. Queen. I’ve been one of the most unfortunate men God ever created. That devil Field — whoever killed him deserves to be decorated for his service to humanity. He was an octopus — a soulless beast in human form. I can’t tell you how happy — yes, happy! — I am that he is dead!”

“Softly there, Morgan,” said Queen. “Although I gather our mutual friend was a good deal of a skunk, your remarks might be overheard by a less sympathetic audience. And—?”

“Here’s the whole story,” mumbled Morgan, his eyes fixed on the desk blotter. “It’s a hard one to tell... When I was a kid at college I got into some trouble with a girl — a waitress in the college restaurant. She was not bad — just weak, and I suppose I was wild in those days. At any rate she had a child — my child... I suppose you know that I come from a straitlaced family. If you don’t, you would find out soon enough on investigation. They had great plans for me, they were socially ambitious — to cut it short, I couldn’t very well marry the girl and bring her to father’s house as my wife. It was a caddish thing to do...”

He paused.

“But it was done, and that’s all that matters. I’ve— I’ve always loved her. She was sensible enough about the arrangements... I managed to provide for her out of my generous allowance. No one — I’ll swear not a soul in this world with the exception of her widowed mother, a fine old lady — knew about the affair. I’ll swear to that, I say. And yet—” His fist clenched, but he resumed with a sigh. “Eventually, I married the girl whom my family had selected for me.” There was a painful silence as he stopped to clear his throat. “It was a mariage de convenance — just that and nothing else. She came from an old aristocratic family, and I had the money. We have lived fairly happily together... And then I met Field. I curse the day I ever consented to go into partnership with him — but my own business was not exactly all it might have been and Field, if nothing else, was an aggressive and clever lawyer.”

The Inspector took a pinch of snuff.

“Everything went smoothly at first,” continued Morgan in the same low tone. “But by degrees I began to suspect that my partner was not everything he should have been. Queer clients — queer clients indeed — would enter his private office after hours; he would evade my questions about them; things began to look peculiar. Finally I decided my own reputation would suffer if I continued to be linked with the man, and I broached the subject of dissolution. Field objected strenuously, but I was stubborn and after all he could not dominate my desires. We dissolved.”

Ellery’s fingers tapped an absent tattoo on the handle of his stick.

“Then the affair at the Webster. He insisted we have lunch together for the settlement of the last few details. That wasn’t his purpose at all, of course. You can guess, I suppose, his intentions... He came out quite suavely with the overwhelming statement that he knew I was supporting a woman and my illegitimate child. He said that he had some of my letters to prove it, and a number of cancelled vouchers of checks I had sent her... He admitted he had stolen them from me. I hadn’t looked at them for years, of course... Then he blandly announced that he meant to make capital out of this evidence!”

“Blackmail!” muttered Ellery, a light creeping into his eyes.

Перейти на страницу:

Все книги серии Ellery Queen Detective

Похожие книги

1984. Скотный двор
1984. Скотный двор

Роман «1984» об опасности тоталитаризма стал одной из самых известных антиутопий XX века, которая стоит в одном ряду с «Мы» Замятина, «О дивный новый мир» Хаксли и «451° по Фаренгейту» Брэдбери.Что будет, если в правящих кругах распространятся идеи фашизма и диктатуры? Каким станет общественный уклад, если власть потребует неуклонного подчинения? К какой катастрофе приведет подобный режим?Повесть-притча «Скотный двор» полна острого сарказма и политической сатиры. Обитатели фермы олицетворяют самые ужасные людские пороки, а сама ферма становится символом тоталитарного общества. Как будут существовать в таком обществе его обитатели – животные, которых поведут на бойню?

Джордж Оруэлл

Классический детектив / Классическая проза / Прочее / Социально-психологическая фантастика / Классическая литература