Curiosity Didn't Kill the Cat Read Online Free PDF Page A

arm and practically ran for the access. That was also the last time he went to the beach, and that was six years ago. It was a kind of phobia, I suppose. It was entirely unreasonable, and even he admitted it. But he couldn’t seem to help himself; even the thought of going to the beach made him almost ill these last few years. He just couldn’t stand to be that close to the water.”
    She paused and looked questioningly at Conan.
    “So, can you tell me, in the face of all that, how it would be possible for Harold to suddenly decide—especially on a very stormy night, with the tide nearly high—that he wanted to take a little stroll on the beach?”
    He was silent, searching for an answer, feeling the acute sense of discomfort that always accompanied any confrontation with the inexplicable. He crossed his legs, settling himself deeper into the chair, frowning as he took an impatient puff on his cigarette.
    “Nel, has Harold been acting strangely? I mean, have you noticed any change in personality lately?”
    She laughed. “You mean symptoms of senile dementia? No, and he was in excellent physical health, considering his age. He had a checkup about a month ago. I know what you’re doing, Conan. I’ve been doing the same thing for hours—looking for some simple, logical explanation for an utterly unreasonable act. I can save you some time and trouble. Harold was perfectly clear mentally, and quite stable emotionally, except for his phobia about the sea, and he solved that problem very neatly by simply staying away from the beach. Suicide isn’t a possibility. He might complain about the way the world was going, or about my cooking, but he never complained about himself. He always seemed quite content with his lot in life.” She shook her head, her shoulders coming up in an uneasy shrug. “Conan, there is no logical explanation for his going to the beach last night.”
    He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees.
    “Then perhaps the question is why he left the house, not why he went to the beach. Have you any doubt that he left the house voluntarily?”
    She hesitated, then shook her head.
    “No. Mrs. Crane saw him leave. He was alone, and apparently under no duress. But I can’t guess what prompted him to go out; he said nothing to suggest he had any intention of leaving the house last night. I suppose it’s possible he had some sort of secret life; something that would explain his going out without telling me. But knowing him, it’s highly unlikely; he wasn’t that imaginative. And if he ever had any secret rendezvous, they were few and far between. He has never, under any pretext, gone out alone when I was home, and I very seldom went out without him. He made too much of a fuss about it. Besides, even if I knew why he left the house, it still wouldn’t explain how he ended up on the beach.”
    “It might have some bearing on that.”
    She pressed her fingers to her eyes tiredly and nodded. “Yes, I suppose so.”
    “Nel, did you talk to Mrs. Crane?”
    “Of course. When Pearl brought me home and we found Harold gone, I called Mrs. Crane. I knew she’d take due note of it if he left the house. After that, I could hardly get rid of her.”
    “I suppose she came over to your house.”
    “Oh, yes. Full of neighborly solicitude.”
    He laughed briefly. “Alma always likes to be where the action is. What did she tell you?”
    Nel took a deep breath. “Not a great deal, although it took quite a while for her to tell it. She said she heard our front door close and looked out her window. That was at eight-thirty. She pinpointed the time by the fact that the Lawrence Welk show had just concluded and she’d turned off her television.”
    “When did you leave the house?”
    “Pearl picked me up at eight. Anyway, Alma said Harold left the porch light on and took time to lock the door, then he walked down Front Street ‘at a good clip.’ She can see quite a distance from her south windows; she knows