Close to my Heart by Chester S Read online

  “Meglio tardi che mai. Better late than never, visit the cocktail lounge on the main floor of eh?”

  the building. He had, in fact, became of late a She drew back, startled, then laughed.

  steady customer.

  “I think you’re very nice, Mr. Vallo. But if

  Dominick Vallo was seated at one of

  you don’t mind, I’d rather have a boy friend

  the tables, staring moodily into the depths of my age.”

  an old fashioned. Reece joined the other and

  Vallo shook his head bitterly. “So it

  signaled the bar hostess.

  must be il campo santo—the cemetery —after

  “You have heard the news?” Vallo

  all.”

  asked.

  Kendall glanced at his watch and stood

  Reece shook his head. “What do you

  up. “We’d better be going, Leila, if we’re to

  mean?”

  have enough time to climb into our formals.”

  “Jerry Kendall has not told you?”

  She nodded quickly and picked up her

  “I haven’t seen much of him lately—or

  purse and gloves. Reece seethed at her evident of anyone, for that matter,” Reece said

  eagerness. He managed an airy wave of the

  bitterly.

  hand as she and Kendall left. Reece was

  “The beautiful Leila, she is going to

  almost glad to have them go. If they had

  marry,” Vallo explained.

  remained another minute, he felt as though

  Recce’s heart climbed a mountain and

  Mammoth Mystery

  6

  jumped off. “Marry!” he gasped.

  perpendicular. “Impossible, eh? Well, I’ll

  Vallo nodded solemnly. “Jerry was in

  show you the miniature! You shall see for

  a great hurry, but he told me this. Just a few yourself.”

  minutes ago. He went upstairs to look for

  “All right, but you’re going to have a

  you.”

  hard time convincing me.” Reece rose in

  “I must have gone down just as he

  belligerent acceptance of the other’s

  came up,” Reece decided dully. Abruptly he

  challenge. This was exactly what he had been

  stood up. “I don’t want to see him. Come on,

  hoping for. Vallo had played right into his

  let’s go. There’s another bar around the hands.

  corner.” Reece tossed a bill on the table to pay The fog inside Reece was swiftly

  for the drinks, as yet unarrived, and grasping a evaporating. He glanced at his watch. It was

  reluctant Vallo by the arm, hastily left.

  almost evening, which meant that most of the

  In the other taproom, Reece and Vallo

  tenants of Reece’s and Vallo’s office building settled down to serious drinking. The alcohol

  would be gone. This suited Reece fine, since it was a key that unlocked the door of Recce’s

  meant that there was now little chance of his

  reserve. He began pouring out to Vallo the

  running into Kendall.

  story of his hopes and frustrations. Highly

  emotional by nature, Vallo’s usual melancholy

  ONLY one elevator operator was now on duty

  deepened to a boundless sympathy for Reece.

  in the building and his cage was rising to the

  “That Jerry Kendall, he is a rat!” Vallo

  upper floors. Fuming at Recce’s irritating

  declared thickly. He hunched toward Reece

  disbelief, Vallo plunged up the stairs. With a secretively. “My friend, what you need in this shrug, Reece followed. They met nobody on

  crisis is one of the little toys the Italians like the way to their floor. The hall itself was

  the Borgia’s used long ago. Clever little empty.

  gadgets—like the miniature.”

  Muttering hotly under his breath, Vallo

  “The miniature?” Reece grunted. fumblingly fitted his key in the lock and led

  “What’s the miniature got to do with helping

  the way into his shop. From a drawer of the

  me?”

  old-fashioned roll-top desk in his office, he

  Vallo leaned forward closer, and his

  pulled a Small flat metal box.

  voice dropped to a hoarse whisper. “The

  “Here it is!” he announced

  miniature was made small to be worn close to

  triumphantly. “Now I shall show you.” Vallo

  one’s heart. Not your heart, my friend, but the opened the box and into the palm of his hand

  heart of your enemy. For inside the miniature

  shook a tiny framed painting which looked

  is a device which throws out a poisoned curiously thick. “Handle it carefully,” he needle when the heat of the body melts a little warned as Reece impulsively reached for it.

  wax stop. A nice gift, no? Your enemy wears

  “The last owner of the miniature kept poison

  it close to his heart, and— phf-f-t! . No more on the needle, and it is still deadly.”

  enemy.”

  Reece gazed at the miniature with

  Something clicked in Recce’s mind,

  fascinated interest. The painting was of a

  like the pieces of a long, perplexing puzzle

  young girl. The resemblance to Leila seemed

  falling finally together. A ray of cunning slight at first, but strangely the longer Reece penetrated the alchoholic fog which filled him.

  looked at the painting, the closer the similarity He told Vallo, “It’s impossible. I don’t believe became. He realized finally that the alikeness a word of it. Such a thing just can’t be done.”

  was due more to spiritual than physical

  Vallo’s back became stiffly characteristics. The girl in the miniature had

  Close to My Heart

  7

  the same quality of demure shyness as Leila.

  Reece drew back in mock alarm.

  “But where is the needle?” Reece “Careful with that thing, Dominick!”

  asked Vallo.

  “Don’t worry, it is not loaded.”

  “It is inside,” the other explained. He pointed

  “But can you load it, Dominick?”

  to a barely discernible spot on the surface of

  “Sure. I have powder and shot in the

  the painting. “See? She wears a red dress. This case that goes with the pistols. I know the

  is red wax, covering the hole where the needle method.”

  comes out. It is hard to tell the difference,

  “Let’s load it, then,” Reese suggested

  no?”

  in sudden eagerness.

  Reece nodded slowly, his thoughts

  Vallo shook his head dubiously. “It is

  scurrying like hungry mice. “You wouldn’t

  too much trouble.”

  know it was there unless you looked for it.”

  “Come on, Dominick, we’ll have some

  Reece abruptly grasped Vallo’s arm, and his

  fun.”

  eyes narrowed. “Listen, Dominick, you agreed

  “No, it would be just a waste.

  that Kendall played us a dirty trick by taking Reece gauged the other’s state of

  Leila away from us like that. Are we going to

  inebriety carefully. He decided to try a ruse

  let him get away with it? No we won’t! I’ll tell which had worked successfully once before.

  you what we’ll do. Well send him the

  “I don’t believe that gun will work,

  miniature for a wedding present—tell him to

  Dominick. You’re just trying t
o impress me.”

  wear it close to his heart. There’s our revenge, Dominick. How’s that?”

  AS BEFORE, Vallo bit. His dark eyes lighted

  “Madonna, no!” Vallo snatched the with indignation. “Again you refuse to miniature from Recce’s hand. “The little believe,” he accused. “All right, all right, I Leila, she knows. She will tell the police who shall load it. You shall see for yourself.” He sent the miniature. I will go to jail.”

  sat down at the desk, removing from one of

  “That’s right, of course,” Reece the drawers a large leather-covered case. It muttered. He bit his lip, frowning was lined with red velvet inside. There were thoughtfully. In his mind, the completed depressions for the pistols, and compartments puzzle shifted, rearranged itself, clicked into which held powder, shot, and wadding. With

  place. Exultation coursed through him like the quick though unsteady hands, Vallo loaded the

  glow of vintage wine. His plans had changed a

  weapon. When he had finished, Vallo

  little. But now they were perfect—utterly extended the pistol with a flourish to Reece.

  foolproof. He was going to murder Kendall—

  “There! Now it is loaded.” He

  and get away with it beyond any slightest

  carelessly indicated an old leather couch

  suspicion from either Leila or the police.

  across the room which was covered with

  Reece had earlier noticed a brace of

  pillows. “Go ahead, prove it for me. I have

  antique dueling pistols on the wall over loaded the gun so that there will not be much Vallo’s desk. Now he pointed to them, noise.” With a smile of anticipated triumph, pretending a sudden interest.

  Vallo produced a half-filled bottle of whiskey

  “Say, Dominick, do those old guns from the desk and drank deeply. Putting the work?”

  bottle down, he swiveled in his chair to watch

  “Work? Certainly! They are genuine,

  the couch.

  these, and not just for show.” Vallo placed the Recce’s lips thinned in a hard grin. He

  miniature on his desk and took down one of

  placed the muzzle of the pistol against Vallo’s the pistols.

  right temple, and before the other could

  Mammoth Mystery

  8

  realize what was going to happen, he pulled

  He departed by way of the stairs,

  the trigger. There was a dull muffled roar.

  leaving the lobby of the building only when he Vallo slumped limply in the chair.

  was sure he would not be noticed. The

  Reece felt as though on fire with package and its accompanying note he elation. The set-up was beautiful—just dropped in a mailbox on the corner.

  beautiful. In his mind’s eye, he could visualize just the way it would look to the police, to

  THAT night—and for a good part of the next

  everyone. Grief-stricken at the news that Leila morning—Reece celebrated what he felt

  was going to be married, Vallo had committed

  certain was the complete solution of his

  suicide. The art dealer’s brooding melancholy

  problems. How he managed to reach his

  temperament, and the numerous threats which

  apartment afterward was a mystery which he

  he had made to kill himself would support the

  couldn’t explain. When he awoke, it was early

  theory.

  afternoon. Feeling too sick to go down to the

  This, however, was just a part of agency, he remained in bed.

  Recce’s plan. He chuckled with satisfaction as On his way to work, the following day,

  he rounded out the rest of it. Forging Vallo’s Reece collided with the mailman. His bus was

  hand-writing, he intended to send the due to arrive within a few minutes, and he was miniature to Kendall, with the explanation that anxious not to miss it.

  it was a wedding present, and the sentimental

  “A registered for you,” the mailman

  request that Kendall wear it close to his heart.

  called out, as Reece muttered hasty apologies

  The job of forgery need not be done with

  and started once more for the door.

  exactness, since any noticeable differences

  It was a thick envelope. Reece signed

  would be explained on the basis that the hurriedly and dashed for the bus stop. His coat writing had been done while Vallo was drunk.

  pockets were filled as usual. After a futile

  Since the miniature bore a resemblance

  search for space, Reece stuffed the envelope

  to Leila, Kendall would carry it around as a

  into the pocket of his shirt.

  keepsake. The needle would do its lethal

  At the agency, Reece found matters

  work—and Reece would have a clear road

  proceeding as though nothing had happened.

  both with Leila and the agency, with nobody

  The Vallo part of his plan had gone through

  the wiser. Kendall’s death would be accepted

  without complications, as he had learned from

  as due to an act of revenge on the part of

  a garrulous elevator operator. Vallo’s body

  Vallo.

  had been discovered by an assistant, and the

  Reece got to work. Wiping the pistol

  police had dismissed the art dealer’s death as clean of his fingerprints he placed it in Vallo’s suicide—just as Reece had intended they

  hand. Then he assembled all the necessary

  should.

  materials—pen, ink, twine, writing and

  The only remaining uncertainty was

  wrapping paper, and various records from Kendall. Something which gave Reece hope which to copy Vallo’s handwriting. He first

  was the significant fact that Kendall was not

  wrapped the miniature carefully and addressed

  in his office. Reece knew Kendall was always

  it to Kendall. That done, he wrote a short note, the first person to arrive at the downtown

  explaining the miniature as a wedding gift and agency in the morning.

  adding the request that Kendall wear it close

  Entering his own office, Reece found a

  to his heart. With stamps he found in one of

  letter on his desk. He tensed with sudden

  the desk drawers, Reece finally had the alarm as he recognized Kendall’s handwriting.

  package and note ready for mailing.

  Reece tore the letter open quickly, his

  Close to My Heart

  9

  thoughts spinning in wondering anxiety.

  so I’m sending you the miniature. I’m not

  sentimental enough—

  DEAR FLOYD:

  Wrote you two letters, sending one to

  There were just a few lines more, but

  the agency and one to your apartment so there Reece abruptly stopped reading. With a thrill

  wouldn’t be any delay. Was called out of town of unutterable horror, he recalled the

  on business which I’ll explain fully when I get registered envelope which had arrived as he

  back. That Dahlia Cosmetics deal has been

  was hurrying from his apartment. The bulky

  bringing in customers!

  envelope which he had stuffed—of all

  Vallo sent me as a wedding present

  places—in his shirt pocket . . . over his heart!

  that miniature he was always talking about.

  Fear flashing and roaring inside him,

  I’m not keeping it, as it isn’t me Leila’s going Reece frantically reached to tear the envelope to marry, but a fellow she’d been engaged to away. He was too late. He knew it as he felt
a and quarreled with, which was why she came sudden sharp pain over his heart—in his heart.

  to the city. The guy came after her, and they He tried to scream in terror and frustration, but made up. I was in a hurry that afternoon—this the poison acted before he could get his

  business had popped up—and Vallo must have paralyzed throat muscles to operate. Blackness misunderstood me.

  closed in around him—the ultimate blackness

  I know how you felt about Leila, and

  of death.