Exploit of Death - Dell Shannon Read Online Free PDF

know."
    Daggett's prominent Adam's apple jerked once, but his
lantern jaw thrust forward and he said with just the right tone of
indignation, "You've got no call to say I'm a liar. It was all
just like we told you. Why'd we want to tell lies about it? None of
us really knew the girl at all. It was just like I said, I went up to
get the rent and found her like that. Poisoned herself, she had.
Why'd we want to lie about it?"
    "She'd been here a month," contributed his
wife insistently. "I'm sure I don't know why you'd call us
liars. We ought to know."
    "She told me," said Mrs. Garvey
emotionally, "how downright miserable she'd been about her
boyfriend. His name was Jim. That was all she ever said. She thought
he wanted to marry her—"
    "Who primed you with the pretty story?"
Mendoza's voice was sharp.
    "I don't know what you mean. We just told you
the plain truth." Daggett was defiant. They weren't showing any
overt signs of nervousness, and when Higgins brought in the typed
statements they signed them without a tremor. Mendoza let them go. It
was nearly five-thirty.
    "You're absolutely sure—"
    "For God's sake, don't say it again, George."
    "Well," said Palliser, "it's just your
word, but if we're working it by the book, there are obvious things
to do."
    "So go and do them," said Mendoza. `
    Palliser got waylaid in the hall by Jason Grace.
Grace had been wasting everybody's time enthusing about the new
addition to the family. They were planning a formal christening next
week and Celia couldn't wait to meet her new baby brother. They would
probably bring him home on Sunday. It had all been worth the long
wait—
    Palliser said yes and fine and just before the end of
shift he got down to Communications. He sent off a teletype to the
Chicago force asking for any information they could dig up about a
Ruth Hoffman, description appended. Just on the very long chance he
got hold of Duke in the lab and asked him to wire the girl's prints
to Chicago. Mendoza sounded damn sure about the French girl, but on
the face of it, it was an unlikely story. Mendoza had on occasion
been known to be wrong. Palliser ruminated about it on the way home
to Hollywood, but when he got there it slid to the back of his mind
as he kissed Roberta.
    "You feeling better?" She'd been having a
bout of morning sickness.
    She smiled up at him as
two-year—old Davy came running. "I'm fine, the doctor said
it's nothing to worry about. Don't fuss, John."
    * * *
    HIGGINS WAS WONDERING about Ruth Hoffman, too—a
very offbeat thing, if Luis was right. But it was all up in the air
and Luis wasn't infallible; and it was likely to stay up in the air
because there was nothing to get hold of on it. Unless the French
police came up with something definite. But a lot of queer things had
shown up in Higgins' long years on this job, and he put it out of his
mind as he pulled into the drive of the rambling old house in Eagle
Rock.
    Mary was just setting the
table. The little Scottie, Brucie, was underfoot demanding his
dinner. Laura Dwyer was busy over homework, Steve not yet home from
basketball practice. Their own Margaret Emily was cuddling a stuffed
toy on the living-room couch. Higgins built himself a drink and sat
down to relax before dinner. Thank God tomorrow was his day off.
    * * *
    THE NIGHT WATCH didn't leave them anything new, and
there were still a few statements to get on the pharmacy heist.
Hackett was fascinated with the Hoffman-Martin thing. "But what
the hell could be behind it, Luis?"
    "I haven't the faintest idea," said
Mendoza. "And don't ask me if I'm sure it's the same girl. Not a
girl you'd forget. A good-looker in a distinctive way—"
    "And you're just the boy to notice. I'll take
your word for it."
    " Ya pasó aquello —I'm
a respectable married man."
    "Well, we can try to pin it down. Wire photos
and prints to Chicago and the French police."
    "It's done," said Mendoza, "but damn
it, Art, it's a long chance her prints  would be in French
records.