Poisoned Hearts by Ted Coughlan Read online

  “If it was either aconite or arsenic as

  who did.”

  McKenzie thinks, then he must have taken it Bloodworth grew furious.

  after he came home. These poisons kill

  “You have no right to make such an

  quickly, as you ought to know. But, I want to accusation,” he shouted. Then his tone grew be sure, so perhaps you know where he spent calmer. “Just because I wanted to spare my

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  6

  sister from being grilled, is no reason for you anticipation of his answer.

  to think that I know anything about his death.

  “He’s dead,” Conway finally told

  I still say he died from heart failure. The them. “Poisoned. I’ve got to know exactly

  autopsy will bear me out.”

  how long it was between the time he drank

  “Sure—heart failure,” Conway said that coffee and the time he arrived at his own sarcastically. “All people die from heart home. Do either of you remember when it was failure. But in this case, it was brought on by a you left the restaurant?”

  too-big dose of some lethal drug. Well, have it Eileen’s eyes grew larger. Suddenly

  your own way, but it’s only going to make

  she started to cry. At first dry sobs racked her things tougher for all of you—”

  body. Soon, however, the dam of tears broke, He broke off, and answered the ringing

  and they streamed down her over-rouged

  telephone.

  cheeks. She let out one loud scream, and

  “I’m leaving here for a while,” he started moaning. Her husband grabbed her by informed nobody in particular. “See to it, that the shoulder and shook her roughly.

  none of you leave the house until I get back.

  “Oh, shut up!” His voice was curt.

  By that time we’ll know whether you or Doc

  “Don’t make a fool of yourself. If he’s dead, McKenzie is right. I’m betting on McKenzie.”

  he’s dead, and there’s nothing you can do

  Without a backward glance, he strode

  about it.”

  out of the room, stopping only long enough to

  “Well, do you remember?” Conway

  say something to the patrolman at the door.

  asked. The question only started Eileen crying It was already dawn when Conway

  more loudly. The detective looked with

  reached Winston’s cottage. He walked right in irritated helplessness from the woman to her and introduced himself to Bill and Eileen husband. “Can’t you stop her?” he asked.

  Winston.

  “Sure.” Bill walked into the kitchen

  “Were you two out with Rex Harvey

  and came back with a glass of water. He flung last night?”

  it into his wife’s face, snarling at her. “Come on, cut out the nonsense! You don’t need to BILL’S thick graying eyebrows drew advertise the fact that you were in love with together. “Sure, what of it?”

  the—him,” He looked at Conway. “She’ll quit

  “What time did he leave you?”

  now. Sit down, sir.”

  “About a quarter to twelve, I guess.

  Both men sat down gingerly on rickety

  Why?”

  chairs, facing one another.

  Conway reprimanded him. “I’m asking

  “It was exactly twenty-five minutes to

  the questions. Did you have supper together?”

  twelve when we left his place,” Bill Winston Bill’s frown grew fiercer. “Sure. In his

  said. “I remember, because the busboy almost joint. Just before we came home.”

  swept us out in his rush to get through.”

  “What did he have to eat?” Conway

  Conway’s glance slowly covered the

  asked.

  small, over-furnished room.

  “Just coffee, I think. Did he have

  “What do you do for a living?”

  anything else, Eileen?” He threw a quick

  “Write.” Bill Winston pointed to his

  glance at his wife’s strained face. She shook chipped mahogany desk on which stood a

  her head silently.

  battered typewriter and a box of cheap paper.

  “Why?” she asked Conway. “What’s

  “South American tripe mostly.”

  all this about? Has anything happened to

  “Does it pay well?”

  Rex?” Her eyes widened in anxious

  “No. If it weren’t for her job, and—”

  Poisoned Hearts

  7

  Bill stopped, shrugged his shoulders and went M.E. to one side.

  on. “You might as well hear it from me before

  “Is it possible that Harvey swallowed

  some other people get a chance to give you that poison as much as half an hour before he too distorted a story.” He paused to wet his died?” he asked.

  lips with his tongue. “Rex Harvey practically McKenzie nodded his gray, bull-like

  supported us. I’m figuring on opening a head.

  bookstore in the next few days. He even

  “Maybe. It all depends. If it was

  financed that.”

  arsenic, sure. I’d hate to make a rash statement Conway’s sleepy-looking eyes

  about aconite, but it would still be possible.

  suddenly grew alert.

  The stuff acts faster with some folks than

  “I think I can guess the rest, then.

  others. I can tell you for sure after the

  You’re just the type to do it. You were fed up autopsy.”

  with his generosity. The more he did for you,

  “Thanks. If the photographer is

  the more you hated him. Tonight you slipped a through, you can take the body away.” He

  shot of aconite into his coffee. Isn’t that the looked around the garishly furnished living way it happened?”

  room. Bloodworth and Whitehurst were still Bill Winston didn’t even look there, but Mrs. Harvey was gone. Anticipating surprised. His full lips curled in the semblance his question, Bloodworth scowled

  of a smile, but his usually brusque voice was belligerently.

  quiet as he answered the accusation.

  “I gave her a sedative and sent her to

  “You’ve got me doped about right, bed.”

  Captain, but that’s all. I’m sorry to disappoint Conway threw him a quick look.

  you, but I didn’t kill him, much as I’d have

  “Well, what about those glasses?” he

  been willing to. You know, if I slipped him asked the photographer.

  that kind of a Mickey at eleven thirty-five,

  “His prints weren’t there, and the lab

  he’d never have gotten home alive, and I’m says there’s nothing more potent than Black telling the truth about the time. You can check Label in them.”

  on it easily enough.”

  Bloodworth smiled for the first time,

  Captain Conway scrutinized the with faint relief. “What did I tell you? It expression on the embittered man’s face.

  shows that your examiner is all wet.”

  “I’m halfway inclined to believe you,

  Conway shook his head.

  but you’d better come along with me, anyway,

  “If his prints weren’t on any of those

  both of you. Until I check with McKenzie, I’d glasses, it just shows that he drank from

  rather keep both of you in sight.”

  another one. Have you tried to find it, Jack?”

  “Okay by me,” Bill grunted. “Put on

  The photographer frowned.

  your coat, Eileen, and let’s get going.”

  “Sure, but it ain’t here.”

  Conway walked to the front door, and

  THEY left the house, and the dete
ctive drove spoke to the policeman.

  them to Harvey’s home. When he parked in

  “Bring the Winstons in.”

  the now car-filled driveway, he spoke to them.

  Bill and Eileen walked hesitantly into

  “I’d better not bring you in, yet. I’ve

  the living room. Without a word to anyone, had enough crying women for one night.” He Bill Winston looked around, picked out the pointed to a policeman at the door. “He’ll see most comfortable chair, and heavily slumped that you stay here.”

  into it. His wife, still sobbing, stood

  Inside the house, Conway called the

  uncertainly in the middle of the room. At a

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  8

  gesture from Conway, she sat on the edge of a BILL handed the glass to the detective.

  straight-back chair. Bill Winston lighted a Conway took it gingerly and put it to his cigarette, leaned back.

  nostrils, then called the photographer again.

  “Well, which one of them did it,

  “This must be it, Jack,” Conway said.

  Captain?” he asked. “They’re both as glad as I

  “Find out.”

  am to see him out of the way.”

  While Jack was testing the glass for

  Conway glared at him.

  fingerprints, Conway faced the others in the

  “What do you mean by that?” he room. He scowled as he glared at them all.

  demanded.

  “One of you is holding something

  Bill

  shrugged.

  back,” he said, his gaze centering on

  “Bloodworth never approved of his Bloodworth. “I think it is you, Major. The way sister marrying a man who ran a restaurant.

  it looks to me, either you or Mrs. Harvey put Figured he wasn’t good enough for her. He’s that poison in Harvey’s glass—the glass you been wanting her to divorce him ever since knew he would use when he sat in his favorite Harvey built this house and put it in her name.

  chair. I—”

  The good doctor had no love for him.” Bill

  “That’s a lie!” interrupted Major

  nodded toward Doctor Whitehurst. “But Rex

  Bloodworth in sudden anger. “I didn’t do it, was a heavy contributor to Whitehurst’s pet and neither did my sister!”

  charity clinic. Did the doctor tell you how

  “Naturally

  you’d

  try

  to shield her if

  much Rex willed him?”

  you knew she did it,” said Conway. “Or

  “No, he didn’t,” Conway snapped. “If

  maybe you did it yourself and are trying to you know so much, you tell me.”

  bluff your way out of it.” He frowned. “I’m

  “I don’t know,” Bill said calmly. “I’m

  getting Mrs. Harvey down here right now and only figuring it out from the way Harvey

  we're going to have this settled before I

  spoke. Maybe he didn’t even leave a will.”

  leave.”

  “Do either of you know if he did?”

  “I—I want to go home,” Eileen

  Conway asked, looking from Bloodworth to

  Winston spoke nervously. Abruptly she stood Whitehurst.

  up. “I can’t bear being here when she comes Whitehurst opened his mouth, but downstairs.”

  Bloodworth spoke first.

  “Sit down, please, Mrs. Winston,”

  “Yes, he did leave a will.” Bloodworth

  Conway ordered quietly. “No one is leaving glared at Bill. “For your information Harvey just yet.” He watched her as she sank back left everything he had to his wife.”

  into her chair. “Neither you nor your husband

  “Okay, so I’m wrong again.” Bill are in the clear. It’s quite possible that one of Winston smiled faintly. “How about a drink?”

  you poisoned Harvey in the restaurant, and he His hand groped along the side of the

  managed to reach home before he died.”

  chair in which he sat. He pressed a hidden

  “That’s impossible, Captain,” Bill said

  button under the arm and the upholstered side with conscious superiority. “If you knew as of the chair opened, disclosing a small built-in much about aconite as I do, you’d never make tray. There was a tall glass on it. Bill picked it such a statement.”

  up and started for the whisky decanter.

  “Is that so?” Conway glared at Bill

  “Hey, wait a minute” exclaimed Winston. “And where did you get so much Conway. “Give me that glass. If you want a information about it?”

  drink, get another.”

  “From studying the subject of

  poisons.”

  Poisoned Hearts

  9

  “Oh, then maybe, knowing so much,

  The doctor snarled and dashed for the

  you could have doctored the aconite a bit

  door. Conway grabbed for Whitehurst and

  before giving it to Harvey to make sure he got missed. Bill stuck out his foot as the doctor home before it took effect.” Conway turned to tried to rush by him. Whitehurst tripped and the doctor. “Would you say that was possible, went down hard. Captain Conway got him

  Doctor Whitehurst?”

  before he could rise and snapped a pair of The doctor walked the length of the

  handcuffs on the doctor’s wrists.

  room and back before he answered. He

  seemed to be fighting a battle with himself.

  SOME of Conway’s men appeared and took

  His voice was low and intense when he spoke.

  charge of the prisoner. The captain turned to

  “I hate to say this, Captain,” he said.

  Bill.

  “It sounds too much like a direct accusation,

  “Looks as if you found the killer, all

  but since it is bound to come out later right,” Conway said. “What’s the rest of it, anyway.” He hesitated and shrugged his Winston?”

  shoulders. “I’ve had many discussions with

  “All I know is that Doctor Whitehurst

  Mr. Winston. For a layman, he is exceedingly gave that trick chair to Rex on his birthday,”

  well versed in toxicology. Frankly, I don’t Bill said. “It was at the doctor’s Virginia home know of any way to delay the action of I first made the acquaintance of American aconite, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he did.”

  aconite. I just put two and two together and

  “Well, what do you say to that, hoped for the best. With the aid of your Winston?” Conway demanded.

  fingerprints experts, your laboratory

  Bill stood up, stretching his short, thin

  technicians, and your medical examiner you arms over his head. He yawned deliberately, can probably learn how Harvey was given the more to annoy Conway than anything else.

  poison—either from the hidden glass or

  “The first time I ever saw aconite was

  perhaps from the chair itself.”

  in Virginia,” he said. “It is known by the more

  “Yes, but the motive?” demanded

  common name of Wolf’s Bane down there.

  Conway slowly, and then his eyes gleamed.

  The American variety, which isn’t as potent as

  “Of course—they hated each other—that was

  the Asiatic, grows to a height of three or four it. The motive was so commonplace, I

  feet. It has bright green, petiolate leaves about couldn’t see it.”

  two or three inches in length, and has pretty

  “I was beginning to wonder how long

  white flowers on a trailing stem. To the it would take you to see how they felt toward uninitiated, it looks somewhat like one another,” Bill said. “I’ll make a prediction horseradish, but you’ll find a big dif
ference if right now. Doctor Whitehurst’s defense will you happen to eat any of it.”

  be that he had been treating Harvey for acute

  “What’s the idea of the botanical coryza, which Rex never had, and the traces of lecture?” Conway snapped in an irritated tone.

  aconite the M.E. finds in his innards came

  “It sort of ties up with this chair.” Bill from the medicine used for that.”

  pointed to the seat he had vacated. “Both the

  “All right,” Conway said to the

  aconite and the chair came from the same

  uniformed policemen who were holding

  place. You might call them gifts from a Doctor Whitehurst. “Take him down to the murderer!”

  station.”

  “Gifts!” exclaimed Major Bloodworth.

  Doctor Whitehurst was led away, his

  “Good grief! Doctor Whitehurst gave Rex that face as expressionless as a surgical mask.

  chair!”

  Eileen fumbled in her bag when she found

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  10

  herself alone in the room with the three men.

  could have been convicted of his crime. He She drew out a crumpled letter and handed it was so sure of himself he insisted upon an to Conway.

  investigation, figuring this attitude would

  “Read it,” she said.

  naturally keep anybody from suspecting him.”

  Conway’s eyes traveled swiftly over

  “It nearly did,” Bill said. “When I