Cop with Wings by Bruno Fischer

  Mammoth Detective, July, 1946

  Sheridan resolved to do his duty as an officer, even if it cost him everything he held dear NY OTHER man would have had

  when cops start sprouting wings?”

  that contemptuous laughter rammed Emily Holland stepped between her A down his throat.

  father and Sheridan and the paleness of her

  “My daughter marry a cop!” Peter face accentuated the blackness of eyes and Holland guffawed. But he laughed with only hair. And Sheridan, looking at her his mouth. His eyes, sunk deep in fleshy loveliness, felt doubt. She was class, tops in sockets, spread a chill through the room.

  wealth and society, and he was only a Van Sheridan fought the angry

  detective sergeant. He had thought it all trembling of his rangy body. “I’m the one settled. Now he wasn’t so sure.

  who should be choosey,” he said, keeping

  “None of that matters, Daddy dear,”

  his voice low. “But I don’t care if Emily is Emily said. “I love Van and he loves me.”

  the daughter of Peter Holland, the financial Sheridan felt an inner glow of

  bloodsucker who made his money out of approval. She was the one person Peter slums and by driving competitors to the Holland couldn’t hold out against.

  wall.”

  “So?” Holland pushed his broad

  “Ah, a moralist.” Holland stuck his body up from the chair, and his eyes went dead cigar between the meaty gash that was bleak. “The next thing you are going to tell his mouth. “What’s the world coming to me, Emily, is that you are over twenty-one

  Mammoth Detective 2

  and can marry anybody you please.”

  the way you’re messing around with men.

  “Yes,

  Daddy.”

  At the moment you’re serious about

  “And, of course, the fact that you marrying this cop, but what about—”

  won’t get a cent from me if you marry this Emily’s voice cut her father off, but cop doesn’t mean a thing to you?”

  it was too low for Sheridan to distinguish Emily did not hesitate. “I can live on words through the heavy door. And he Van’s salary.”

  didn’t want to listen in. He had heard

  “Only there isn’t going to be even a enough. He turned down the hall.

  sergeant’s salary,” Holland said.

  On the way to the foyer Sheridan His meaning was plain enough. He passed an open door. Mr. and Mrs. Bush and owned half of the town and all of city hall.

  Hubert Curtis were seated at a card table,

  “Daddy, you won’t have Van fired?”

  sipping cocktails and looking bored. Emily Emily exclaimed.

  had interrupted the bridge game when she

  “What do you think?” Holland said had called her father into the study to tell and put a match to his cigar.

  him that she was going to get married.

  Sheridan said dully: “He’s bluffing, Sheridan stopped and looked at

  baby. The police force is under civil Hubert Curtis, who was Holland’s personal service.” He frowned, knowing that under secretary. He was somewhat sleek, regulations he could be sent to pound a somewhat effeminate—a type some women heart-breaking beat. “Anyway, I can always consider very handsome. He lived in that get another job.”

  house, was practically one of the family—

  Life seemed to have gone out of and Sheridan thought of what Emily’s father Emily’s eyes. “I can’t do that to you, had said about her messing around with darling. I know how much your job means men. Curtis was, if nothing else, available.

  to you.”

  “I say, Sheridan,” Curtis waved a

  “Not as much as you do. And you’re lazy hand. “Is Mr. Holland coming back to giving up more than I am. We can work it the game?”

  out.”

  “I’ve

  no

  idea.”

  “I don’t know,” she muttered.

  Sheridan was about to pass on when

  “Suppose you go, darling, and let me talk he heard his name called by George Bush, this over with Daddy.”

  and he stopped again.

  Sheridan knew then that he was

  “Anything new on the Lowden case, licked. Holland was placidly blowing smoke Sergeant?” Bush asked conversationally. He at the ceiling, confident of his power.

  was a lawyer and was defending Joseph

  “Okay,” Sheridan said, trying to Lowden, a mild-mannered accountant sound casual. “I’ll see you tomorrow, baby.”

  Sheridan had arrested a couple of weeks ago for slitting his wife’s throat.

  SILENCE followed him as he crossed the

  “You’ll hear the state’s case at the study. He closed the door behind him and trial,” Sheridan replied stiffly.

  then stood there, wondering whether to go George Bush laughed pleasantly in back and insist on Emily deciding one way that golden voice which charmed juries. He or the other right now.

  was as smooth as silk and much more Then through the door Peter

  expensive. “You can’t blame a man for Holland’s voice boomed: “Now let me tell trying to get a little advance information, you something, Emily. I don’t approve of Sergeant.”

  Cop with Wings 3

  Mrs. Bush put down her cocktail Suddenly Peter Holland’s voice

  glass with a bang and pouted. Once she had boomed from the house. It sounded as if it been a coy, baby-faced blonde; now she was came through an open window around the a big, fading blonde. “I’m tired of waiting nearest wing.

  for Peter,” she complained. “Besides, it’s

  “By God, you’ll keep away from

  getting late. Let’s go home, George.”

  her!” Holland shouted.

  “Suppose, my dear, you run on

  The answering voice was lower,

  without me,” Bush suggested. “I have some calmer. “Keep your shirt on, Pete. Do you business matters to discuss with Peter.

  want the servants to hear?”

  You’ll only be bored.”

  Both voices dropped and then died entirely. Sheridan wondered whether to go SHERIDAN left the house. He sent his on to the house.

  loose-jointed body down silent streets with And then the decision was taken nervous, impatient strides, as if in a great away from him by the sound of a shot.

  hurry. But he had nowhere he wanted to go, He was in motion before the echo of not even home. Holland’s objection to a cop the shot faded. The front door was unlocked as a son-in-law had been shoved into the and a dim night-light glowed in the huge background, His mind was filled with the foyer. As he crossed the foyer he heard a words he had heard Holland say to Emily!

  door close down the hall. He went toward it

  “...the way you’re messing around and heard a muffled voice wail: “Daddy!

  with men. At the moment you’re serious Daddy!” He ran on and wrenched the study about marrying this cop, but what about—”

  door open.

  What about who? What men? After Emily and her father were in that all, how much did he know about Emily? He room—and a third person lying face down had met her a couple of months ago, and at on the floor.

  first he had thought it just one of those A small revolver dangled limply things—a glamor girl finding a detective from Peter Holland’s fingers. He scowled casually interesting. But it had turned out to down at it and then up at Sheridan. “That be the real thing for both of them.

  was a fool thing for me to do,” he muttered For him, anyway. Could he be sure angrily and placed the revolver on the desk.

  of her? What men had her father
meant?

  Emily drew her negligee tighter Presently he found himself again about her slender figure and huddled inside outside the high hedge which surrounded the it. Her black eyes filled her face as they Holland estate. An hour or two must have watched Sheridan walk stiffly to the man on passed, he wasn’t sure. He did not even the floor and crouch over him.

  remember having retraced his steps.

  The bullet hole was in the left temple. It But he knew why he was back.

  must have killed him instantly. Sheridan did Tonight he had to settle two things with not have to look at the face pressed against Emily. Were there other men? And if not, the floor to know that the dead man was was she dead set to marry him in spite of her George Bush.

  father?

  “Very good shooting, Mr. Holland,”

  He was halfway up the broad walk Sheridan said dryly.

  when he stopped. The house was dark. It

  “Van!” Emily moaned. “You can’t—

  must be after midnight; Emily had probably

  ”

  gone to bed.

  Mammoth Detective 4

  IGNORING her, he stepped around the dead I did.”

  man and toward the phone on the desk.

  Feet retreated down the hall. Emily Before he reached it, Holland touched his slipped back into the study and closed the arm.

  door and sagged against it. She looked as if

  “My God, man,” Holland said, “you her legs could hardly keep her up.

  don’t think I killed Bush?”

  Sheridan’s heart went out to her, but he kept

  “When you shoot a man and he’s

  himself from going to her. He turned again dead, it means you killed him.”

  to the phone.

  “But I didn’t. I came in and found

  “Wait!” Holland said. “I didn’t shoot him dead.”

  George Bush. I admit, though, that we had a Sheridan shook his head. “I heard quarrel.”

  you having an argument with him and then I

  “What about?” Sheridan asked,

  heard a shot. And I find you with a gun in though he knew the answer, remembering your hand. What more do you want?”

  Holland’s words: “By God, you’ll keep away Knuckles rapped urgently on the from her! ”

  door. Hubert Curtis cried through the panel: Holland made an annoyed gesture.

  “Is everything all right?”

  “About business. George Bush, you know, Sheridan started toward the door, but was my attorney. I left the room to get some Emily beat him to it. She opened the door drinks for us. I had hardly dosed the door only wide enough for her to slip through, when I heard a shot. Of course I turned right and as she closed it behind her, Sheridan back. I hadn’t been out of this room more glimpsed Curtis and a couple of servants in than fifteen seconds, but Bush was dead. A the hall. They all wore robes; they had all gun was on the floor beside him. I been roused out of bed.

  recognized it as mine, and I did a very

  “What’s all the excitement about?”

  foolish thing. I was too shocked to think Emily’s voice asked.

  straight. I picked the gun up. And then

  “I heard something like a shot,”

  Emily came in, and you, Sheridan, were Curtis said. “So did the others and—”

  right behind her.”

  “Oh, that?” Emily laughed briefly. “I He glanced at the corpse and added: knocked a heavy bookend off Daddy’s desk.

  “The only way I can figure it out is that After Mr. Bush left, I went in to have a talk Bush took my gun from the desk and shot with Daddy.”

  himself.”

  In the study, Holland uttered a little

  “Sure,” Sheridan said derisively. “He sigh. And Van Sheridan thought angrily: So wanted to frame you for his murder.”

  that’s how she thinks she’ll play it! He took

  “You can’t tell how a man’s mind out his handkerchief and wrapped the will work,” Holland argued without revolver—a .32 Smith & Wesson—in it.

  conviction. “Perhaps he wanted to kill Holland watched him narrowly. “My himself, anyway.”

  fingerprints will be on that gun. I’d just Sheridan snorted. “And managed to touched it.”

  hold the gun so far away that he left no

  “Of course. I want to make sure they powder burns. He was murdered all right.

  stay on.” He dropped the gun into a pocket.

  I’ve never seen a more open and shut case.”

  “Whose gun is it?”

  “Mine,” Holland replied promptly. “I PETER HOLLAND walked heavily behind kept it in the drawer of this desk. Bush knew his desk and dropped into the chair and

  Cop with Wings 5

  opened a drawer. He took out a checkbook looked down at her in scorn—and tried to and unscrewed the top of his pen. “Name keep her beauty from twisting his heart “So your own figure, Sheridan.”

  if money won’t buy me, you’ll use yourself

  “That wouldn’t change anything,”

  as a bribe.”

  Sheridan told him. “There will still be a She flushed. “That isn’t fair, Van. I dead man in the house murdered with your wanted to marry you before this happened.”

  gun.”

  Nothing is fair any longer, he

  “That’s part of what I’ll pay you thought—what he was doing to her or what for,” Holland said. “We’ll wait until we’re she was doing to him. The dead man was a sure everybody else in the house is asleep.

  fact no amount of emotion could get around.

  Then we’ll take the body out through one of

  “And I suppose,” he said tightly, “that your these French windows and drive some miles father won’t object to our marriage now.”

  from here and dump it and get rid of the gun

  “No objection at all, Sheridan,”

  so it’ll never be found.”

  Holland’s voice was a purr. “And you’ll get Emily moved forward from the door far in the police force with my backing.”

  and looked breathlessly at Sheridan. Color Sheridan turned then, but not toward was returning to her cheeks.

  Emily. He heard her gasp as he picked up Sheridan kept his gaze on her father.

  the phone, and he knew that he had lost her He said tonelessly: “Everything in the world forever. Then she and her father were as isn’t for sale.”

  silent as the dead man on the floor while he

  “Get this straight.” Holland leaned put through the call to police headquarters.

  across the desk. “I didn’t kill George Bush.

  I’m pretty sure there will be other BROODINGLY, Captain Picard, chief of fingerprints found on that gun. But to save the Homicide Bureau, watched the myself annoyance I’ll give you more money laboratory men go through their routine.

  than you can earn in a lifetime.”

  Shaking his head, he stepped to the French

  “You haven’t enough millions to buy window where Van Sheridan stood looking me off.”

  out at the smooth clipped expanse of lawn.

  Savagely Holland tossed down his

  “You’d think a guy like Holland pen. Across the desk the two men faced each would have more sense than to shoot other in unrelenting hatred.

  somebody in his own home with his own Holland’s thick lips curled. “I forgot gun,” Picard said. “Guess he lost his head that you’re a cop with wings. All right, get when the argument with George Bush got out your handcuffs and be damned. You’ll too hot. You said you heard ’em battling.

  never have a thing to call your own but your Did you hear what it was about?”

  pride. Not money—and not Emily.”

  Sheridan expelled smoke through his Sheridan had known in the last few nostrils. “No.”

  minutes that it would end up with Emily

  “Guess it makes no difference. All when money alone couldn’t buy him. And the same, I s
ent Wilson to bring Mrs. Bush he felt Emily at his side and her hand on his here. She might have something to tell us.”

  arm.

  Picard scratched his nose. “Not pleasant for

  “Darling,” she said huskily, “you you, Sheridan, is it? I heard you’re sweet on can’t do this to the man who is going to be Holland’s daughter.”

  your father-in-law.”

  “I didn’t know you were interested in Bitterness welled up to gag him. He gossip, Captain?” Sheridan said dryly.

  Mammoth Detective 6

  “My missus is. She lives on gossip did it! She murdered George!”

  columns and passes the dope on to me. I guess the daughter won’t like it any, you SHERIDAN whirled. Mrs. Bush was turning in her old man.”

  standing in the doorway between Captain

  “I guess not,” Sheridan said.

  Picard and Detective Wilson. Her gloved Sergeant Meyer, the fingerprint man, hand pointed accusingly at Emily. Her full-turned from the desk. “Just one thumb and fleshed face had fallen into harsh creases, forefinger print on the revolver, Captain.”

  and her voice was the voice of hysteria.

  “Holland’s?”

  Picard

  asked.

  “Emily Holland killed my husband!”

  “Uh-huh. Rest of the gun is clean.”

  Mrs. Bush went on wildly. “She was chasing That was that, Sheridan thought. He after him. George would have nothing to do went out of the study and down the long with her, so she murdered him.”