Murder Magic by Cary Moran Read online

  Spicy Detective, October, 1936

  Murder Magic

  by Cary Moran

  Rapinee’s last trick no illusion and Johnny Harding, ace columnist, is forced to turn from the girl who is using all her wiles on him to solve a murder OHNNY HARDING, ace columnist of husband’s business partner. The girl beside the Daily Telegraph, glared at the girl Harding was Thalia’s stepdaughter. The house J beside him, pulled his leg away. She had itself, knee deep in luxury, speaking of wealth pressed it warmly with her own round knee.

  and opulence in every nook and cranny,

  Her fingers were caressing his arm. In the dim belonged to Marshall Fitzhugh who stood

  light of the luxurious room her face was close against the mantel glass in hand.

  to his as she chattered in his ear. Johnny said, Outside rain beat against the windows.

  “Quit playing and try to keep still! Did I ever The wind droned steadily. The steady beat of show you the picture of the dame that talked waves slapped the rocky shore. Paradise Arms herself to death?”

  was situated on Paradise Island, nearly a mile Across the room Thalia Fitzhugh sat

  out in the bay.

  on a deep divan beside Carl Amherst, her

  At one end of the room were velvet

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  curtains, partitioning off some twenty feet of

  “Siva! Siva! Siva! To whom we pray.

  the enormous salon. Every guest in the room Grant us the power, the ability to see into the was eyeing these curtains with a certain future, to gaze into the past, to suspend all amount of expectancy in his or her eye.

  time.”

  The girl beside Johnny said, “But I’m

  The music droned on. The voice

  not kidding! This friend of mine is going to ceased. The statue grinned balefully in the back me in a revue. If you’ll give me a little amber light.

  break and plug me in your column for a

  A slender figure slid from between the

  buildup—you know, society girl goes gaga

  curtains, postured for a moment against the about stage, and—”

  dark background, then made a genuflection Again her knee against his. She leaned

  before the gilded image. The audience gasped.

  so close that one firm breast throbbed against The music swirled tonelessly but

  his skinny shoulder. His uneasy eyes saw the rhythmatically.

  deep cleft between her arrogant breasts as the The dancer turned. Bare feet made no

  negligible dinner gown gaped. Again he sound on the smooth floor. Her eyes seemed pulled away impatiently.

  glazed, peered straight ahead lifelessly, but it

  “Nuts. You better marry this angel was her body that held the watchers instead of taking a flyer at the stage.”

  spellbound. The amber spotlight gave it a

  “Why?” she persisted. “I can sing. I

  yellowish, a deep cream tinge. A thin, sheath-can dance a little, and I’ve got the build for like loin cloth was of the same color. Tiny it.”

  cups that shielded generous breasts matched She thrust a leg out before her, pulled

  perfectly. It was as if she stood nude before at the hem of her skirt. Fascinated, Johnny the watchers, the only spot of color being the watched. Sheer chiffon, well filled, rounded, red, passionate slash of heavily rouged lips.

  sleek. The dim light eventually revealed a five A cream cloth obscured her hair and,

  inch strip of dusky white flesh topping the directly in the center of her forehead, was a chiffon.

  gleaming sapphire or rhinestone. At the apex

  “Plenty

  there,”

  she said softly, “and

  of each breast cup was another, and a fourth plenty here!”

  and larger was embedded in the center of her She preened herself, breasts jutting tumultuous waist.

  forth impudently, taut curves plainly seen For a moment she swayed in rhythm to

  through the thin material of her dress.

  the music, then the melody seemed to sweep Johnny saw Thalia Fitzhugh’s sardonic

  across her body. Muscles quivered, soft flesh gaze across the room and groaned “Put your vibrated, the gleaming stones danced and

  dress down, simple mind! Legs and breasts are twinkled in scintillating orbits and parabolas.

  a dime a dozen on Theatre Row! If—”

  Johnny said, “Now if you had what

  that baby has—”

  HE paused. During the last half of her

  “I’ve got everything she has,” said the

  conversation weird music had filled the room.

  girl beside him, “only more so.” Her hand was Now a faint spotlight illuminated the velvet laid caressingly on Johnny’s. Johnny snorted, curtains at the end of the room. The assembled pulled away, noted that the skirt of her dress guests tensed. Now the curtains parted a little was still drawn above her stocking top.

  and a grotesque statue slid by unseen hands took the center of the improvised stage. A FOR perhaps three minutes the dancer at the voice intoned from behind the curtain.

  end of the room postured, pranced, wove, and

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  vibrated before the leering statue. As the music sank to a sobbing finale, she knelt before Siva, touched the floor with her

  forehead once, twice, thrice. Then,

  respectfully she pushed the ugly thing far to one side of the curtains, returned to grasp a hanging golden cord. Her voice was dead,

  emotionless, her glazed eyes peering straight ahead. She was like a carven statue, the only thing that denoted life being the rapid rise and fall of her half exposed breasts, gleaming creamily in the amber light.

  ‘Make way, make way, he comes, he

  comes! Rapinee, the man who knows, the

  favored of Siva, the master of illusion.”

  Slowly she drew on the cord. The

  curtains parted noiselessly. She moved them, stepping silently in her bare feet so that the It was only after arriving at his side

  scene of the improvised stage was revealed in that Harding saw the severed head was tied by its entirety. Some one of the guests gasped.

  a black cord from a beam overhead. Blood

  In the very center of the stage was a

  dripped steadily from the head to fall on the small table. Atop the table a gleaming crystal.

  once white robe. It welled in a spouting stream Behind the table a huge throne-like chair. A from the cut arteries in the decapitated body, man sat in the chair, a white robe covering his trickled like great red serpents down across wide shoulders. Johnny’s eyes widened.

  the once white chest and splashed softly on The girl beside him whispered, “God!”

  the hardwood floor.

  softly.

  Carl Amherst was the second person

  Rapinee, master of illusion! Several of

  beside the body. His own eyes were wide with the guests applauded half heartedly. Suddenly horror, his nostrils white and quivering at Thalia Fitzhugh screamed fearfully, lurched sight of the blood. Fitzhugh and several of the toward the improvised stage, staggered and other guests bent over Thalia. The half nude fainted. During the melee that followed, the woman, Rapinee’s assistant, still stood

  girl who had pulled the cord stood stiffly, woodenly at one side with the cord in her woodenly in one spot, staring straight ahead hand, staring straight ahead.

  over the heads of the milling guests. Johnny Beside the decapitated man on the

  Harding was the first man to reach the side of floor lay a curved scimitar. Without touching the master of
illusion.

  it Johnny examined the death weapon. In spite Rapinee’s last trick had been no of the gruesome blood, he saw that it had been illusion! His robed body sat stiffly erect in the lately sharpened, that the steel was bright and massive chair; but his turbaned head was a full shiny far back from the razor sharp edge. With foot above the body, twisting from side to side a single stride he reached the scimitar’s mate gruesomely, white teeth flashing in the where it hung on the wall. Its edge was blunt, swarthiness of his face, lips pulled back in a dulled with age. The curtain flapped at the leering snarl, eyes distended, gleaming white, window which was up for a space of two

  glazed and stricken.

  inches.

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  Had the killer done this gruesome 147 East Plymouth, City.” He thrust them work and departed by that window?

  behind the cushion of a heavy chair and

  As he turned, he saw the white faced

  hurried back to the room.

  Carl Amherst withdraw a hand from the

  Marshall Fitzhugh had herded the

  corpse’s robe. The hand slid immediately into wide-eyed servants into the room with the the side pocket of Amherst’s tuxedo. Johnny guests. Johnny surveyed them coldly. A

  said, “Don’t touch that body, Amherst! Has butler, a cook, a scullion, a cook’s helper, two anyone called the police?”

  maids, a negro man of all work. All servile, cringing, dismayed. “Someone will have to go AS if in answer to his question, Marshall for the police,” snapped Johnny and, glaring Fitzhugh burst into the room again, his face about, “but damned if I want any of you to white. “The telephone is out!” he said. “Either leave.”

  the storm has washed out the line or the killer Amherst spoke stiffly. “Don’t cast any

  has cut it!”

  of your aspersions at us, Harding. Remember Harding said, “Get everyone in the we were all in this room, on this side of the place into this room, Marshall, and get them curtain. Maybe the girl there, his helper, can here at once. We’ll have to send someone to throw a little light on the subject. Personally I the mainland.”

  think she’s stalling.”

  He turned, made his way through the

  Marshall Fitzhugh broke in, spoke to

  swirling group of horror stricken guests, the ashen negro. “Go down to the boat-house approached the half nude girl who still stared and get Bulotti up. It’s a bad night, but he’ll stonily ahead at one side of the improvised have to go to the mainland for the police.”

  stage.

  The negro hesitated, departed on

  “Snap out of it! Come on now!”

  unwilling feet.

  He slapped her face sharply. She did

  Johnny said, “Who’s Bulotti?”

  not move. He put a hand behind her neck,

  “He takes care of the boat and the

  pressed her jaw sharply with the palm of his grounds. Lives on the other side of the island other hand.

  in a cottage. He’ll be here presently.

  “This is a hell of a time to play,”

  Johnny walked to the rigid woman was

  giggled Rita Fitzhugh beside him.

  Rapinee’s assistant. He picked her up in his

  “Shut up! She’s hypnotized. Rapinee

  arms. To Rita Fitzhugh he said. “Take me to hypnotized her at the start of his performance.

  the nearest bathroom.”

  I’ve seen the act before. Stay with her a minute.”

  AS they left the room, he saw Thalia Fitzhugh He turned as if to work his way still sitting on the divan. She was staring through the crowd. Carl Amherst stood almost straight ahead. Tears had ruined her makeup.

  behind him. Johnny stumbled fell against the Streaks of mascara ran across the rouge of Her man, caught him in both arms and finally

  checks. Her eyes were wide with horror, bleak fought his way erect.

  with hopelessness, her mouth twisted in a Amherst said, “Clumsy ass,” and grimace of fear.

  Johnny hurried from the room with muttered Johnny followed the girl, Rita, up the

  apologies. Once outside the door he looked at steps, his eyes on the muscles of her liquid, the object he had lifted from Amherst’s swinging hips, sliding beneath the snug dress.

  pocket. It was a packet of letters, tied with red

  “Thalia,” he said aloud, “is taking it pretty cord. The top one was addressed to “Rapinee, hard.”

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  The girl opened the door of a

  “Sheila, but my clothes! Where—?”

  bathroom, said, “Why not? Rapinee was her Rita departed, giggling, for a negligee.

  boy friend. Everybody knew it but poor dad, Gently Johnny tried to explain as best he and he was beginning to suspect! Do you want could.

  help?”

  “So you’ve got to try and help me,” he

  “Turn on the cold water.”

  concluded. “Try and remember all that

  The tub was half full of water when he

  happened while you were behind the curtain.”

  put the nearly nude woman in it. Her flesh

  “Dead! Dead!” she repeated over and

  quivered warmly, but the set expression of her over. “Rapinee is dead.” Miserably she turned eyes did not change. Johnny set her down, to Johnny. “I can’t help you. He hypnotized began to splash water in her face, saying, me before every performance. That’s the last I

  “You’re all right now, you’re all right now,”

  remember.”

  over and over. Presently he tired, jerked her to her feet. “Try the shower, Rita. Maybe hot water will do it.”

  The loin cloth, the breast cups,

  evidently had been affixed with a glue like preparation. As he stood her erect, one breast cup loosened, almost tumbled into the water.

  The clinging loin cloth released its grip.

  Johnny grabbed for a towel, wrapped it about flaring hips. The hot water sprayed onto the smooth slopes of her breasts. The gleaming stone at her waist broke loose, splashed into the water. Rita picked it up, tossed it

  contemptuously aside.

  “Paste,” she snorted. “I thought they

  RITA reappeared. They threw the negligee

  were real! The sapphire Rapinee used in his about the girl’s quivering shoulders, went turban was real. I know—” She stopped, back down the steps to the assembled guests.

  looked at Johnny with wide eyes. They were Sheila dropped on a davenport beside Thalia.

  thinking of the same1 thing.

  Fitzhugh was talking to an Italian near

  “Gone!” snapped Johnny. “Rapinee’s

  the door. The Italian was shaking his head.

  sapphire is gone!”

  “I know it’s rough, I know it’s

  The hypnotized girl stirred.

  storming,” snapped Fitzhugh. “But we’ve got

  “You’re all right, you’re all right,” to have the police. There’s been murder, man!

  intoned Johnny and massaged soft flesh. Her So get going.”

  breasts were nubile, firm yet resilient. Rita Johnny looked at Bulotti curiously.

  leaned to help him. Gradually the brown eyes The Italian was staring past him at the divan.

  awakened, took on a glimmer of intelligence.

  Johnny turned. Sheila sat there dumb in her She moved her head, tried to shake water from grief, the negligee gaping open. The curves of her eyes seemed to realize a man was her provocative breasts rose and fell. One watching her nakedness and covered her creamy thigh was revealed almost hip high.

  breasts with the palms of her hands.

  Johnny glanced back at the Italian. His black

  “Where—?” she began.

  eyes were distended, utterly afire. A red

  “What’s your name?” snapped Johnny.

  tongue flicked out to li
ck at spittle that

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  drooled from the corner of his mouth. that leads from the conservatory. I’ll leave in a Fitzhugh Pushed him.

  minute, then you leave. I’ll meet you there.”

  “Aw right, aw right, boss. I go”

  Presently he arose, lit a cigarette and

  Unwillingly he left the room. Johnny went sauntered out. For several moments he

  over and sat down beside the dead assistant.

  smoked thoughtfully in the darkened hallway, Fitzhugh spoke slowly.

  listened to the subdued conversation from the

  “The police will be here in an hour. I

  salon. Presently he saw the shadow of the girl think it would be best if we all stayed close on the far wall as she moved slowly toward together.” He nodded at the servants. “You the conservatory. He waited, ground the

  will please prepare coffee for the group and cigarette out in the ash tray, and tiptoed also bring liquor. Until the police arrive there toward the French doors that led toward the may be danger. After all we don’t know—”

  summerhouse. He stepped out into the storm.

  The assembled guests looked at one

  Lightning flashed. He saw a dark

  another suspiciously. Thalia glared at her figure with upraised hand behind the adjacent husband. Fitzhugh glared back. Johnny began shrubbery. He tried to dodge but the

  to wonder. He remembered that scimitar that descending arm was too quick. A sharp blow had beheaded the man. Someone had cracked against the side of his head. He sharpened it. It was premeditated murder. crumpled, fell with his face in the gravel.

  There was something fantastic about the