Somewhere in the House (23 page)

“Tough,” said Gamadge.

Leeder took a light from him for his cigarette. “Tough,” he said. “I explained to Mrs. Clayborn that the police had special ways of dealing with blackmail, protected the victim, didn't let names come out. But what good would that do if one of those little papers they were printing at that time got hold of Harriet's name? And we didn't know what the poor girl had got into exactly, and what the damage would be.

“Twenty-four hours later, before we had made up our minds, Sillerman was dead. Harriet swore to me that she knew nothing about it, and I certainly didn't know that she owned a Smith & Wesson .38. Wonder where she bought it.

“The news broke, my name came out. When we found that there was nothing on Harriet in the Sillerman books, nothing but the surname—well; I don't blame poor old Mrs. Clayborn for being glad of that. There wasn't a thing either of us could do about me; she wanted to go to the police with some story about my going down to see Sillerman for
her
—some errand she was going to think up. Something about music, my God. The police and the district attorney and the papers would have made hash of the poor old thing. I said for Heaven's sake keep the Clayborn side out of it—I had my alibi.

“I wonder her stroke didn't come then and there. You can imagine the state of things in the house. Harriet's father and mother wild at me, naturally, and Harriet in a nervous collapse. I left without seeing her; she didn't want to see me, she had her head in the sand.”

Leeder smoked in silence. Then he said: “She knew I wouldn't give her away; but when Aggie Fitch was found, and I saw that she was going to shove the murder on somebody else…couldn't imagine at first what she was up to, calling you in about those buttons…”

His voice died. Then he said quietly: “I was up against something. She didn't seem to want me to take the rap this time, she seemed to think she really had something on Seward. I was completely stumped. I had plenty of her this time, but… Then she gave herself away. That's why I wanted this word with you.”

As Gamadge looked inquiring, Leeder added: “You settled it.”

“Settled it? Fixed the guilt on her, you mean? It was a ghastly trick, but I could think of no other.”

“I didn't mean that,” said Leeder. “I don't blame you, somebody had to do that, since I couldn't. I mean you let her go. Let her die.”

“
I
did?”

“It was the only way out for her,” said Leeder, “and you let her take it. You were looking at her hands—so was I. Do you think I suppose you missed anything I didn't? It was easy enough for me to block Nordhall off, but you could have warned him first. I thought I'd just say I appreciated it.”

“Well,” said Gamadge, “thanks.”

Two cheerful voices came through from the kitchen, telling them that everything was ready, come and get it. But as they rose, Leeder said a word more:

“I used to go up there to the top storey and stand and look at that pottery figure. I used to see through that wall. I used to dream about what was inside.”

Gamadge said: “So did she.”

 

All the characters and events portrayed in this work are fictitious.

SOMEWHERE IN THE HOUSE

A Felony & Mayhem “Vintage” mystery

PUBLISHING HISTORY
First U.S. print edition (Farrar & Rinehart): 1946
Felony & Mayhem print and electronic editions: 2012

Copyright © 1946 by Elizabeth Daly
Copyright renewed 1971 by Frances Daly Harris, Virginia Taylor, Eleanor
Boylan, Elizabeth T. Daly, and Wilfrid Augustin Daly, Jr.

All rights reserved

E-book ISBN: 978-1-937384-43-2

 

 

You're reading a book in the Felony & Mayhem “Vintage” category. These books were originally published prior to about 1965, and feature the kind of twisty, ingenious puzzles beloved by fans of Agatha Christie and John Dickson Carr. If you enjoy this book, you may well like other “Vintage” titles from Felony & Mayhem Press.

“Vintage” titles available as e-books:

The Poisoned Chocolates Case
, by Anthony Berkeley

The
“Henry Gamadge”
series, by Elizabeth Daly

The
“Roderick Alleyn”
series, by Ngaio Marsh

 

“Vintage” titles available as print books:

The
“Albert Campion”
series, by Margery Allingham

The
“Gervase Fen”
series, by Edmund Crispin

For more about these books, and other Felony & Mayhem titles, please visit our website:

FelonyAndMayhem.com