Cop with Wings by Bruno Fischer Read online

  hall. In the foyer the servants were gathered Emily was on her feet, muttering in a close, whispering group. He ploughed distractedly, “No, no!” and Curtis threw an through them and entered the drawing room.

  arm about her waist as if in protection. At Peter Holland stood big and solid the fireplace, Holland took an audible and outwardly composed in front of the dead breath.

  fireplace, but his cigar was a shred between So there it was, Sheridan thought his lips. Emily and Hubert Curtis sat side by hollowly. His silence over what he had side on the couch. Too close, Sheridan heard Holland say during the argument with.

  thought with a sudden stab of jealousy. Then Bush hadn’t done any good. A door had he was annoyed with himself, for he no been opened, dropping Emily into the pit as longer had any right to be jealous.

  deep as her father.

  Holland removed the frayed cigar.

  “So?” Captain Picard said

  “Well, how’s it stand?”

  thoughtfully. “So you think Holland is

  “The only fingerprints on the gun are taking the rap for his daughter?”

  yours,” Sheridan told him.

  “Rap?” Mrs. Bush asked. “I don’t Calmly Holland put a match to his understand.”

  cigar. His hands were very steady. Sheridan

  “We haven’t told you yet,” Picard turned to Emily and saw that her face was explained, “but the facts show that it was buried against Curtis’ shoulder.

  Mr. Holland who murdered your husband.”

  “Emily,” Sheridan said, “you were in In slow bewilderment Mrs. Bush’s the study so quickly that you must have been head turned to Holland. “Peter, why would downstairs when you heard the shot. Did you—”

  you see your father in the hall?”

  “I didn’t,” Holland told her firmly.

  Her head came up; her chin jutted.

  “You’re right in one thing, except that it was

  “You wouldn’t believe me if I said I did.”

  the other way around: George was annoying

  “Maybe not,” he admitted. “But

  Emily with his attentions. My argument with there’s something about this I don’t like. If George was about that.”

  Negligently he

  you two will be honest with me—”

  tossed his cigar into the fireplace. “But I

  “Why shouldn’t you like it?” Emily didn’t kill him. And neither did Emily.”

  cut him off. “You’re getting your revenge on

  “One of you did!” Mrs. Bush cried.

  Daddy. Isn’t that what you want?”

  “Sure,” Picard agreed. “And up to

  “No,” he said. “Believe me, I—”

  now all facts point to Holland.... Sheridan, Behind him a woman shrilled: “She take Holland to headquarters and book him.

  Cop with Wings 7

  I’ll hang around till the squad gets through.

  THE lighted windows spread a glow around And I’ll want another talk with Miss the house. But it wasn’t bright enough to see Holland.”

  details. Sheridan hadn’t a flashlight. He Sheridan would have given a

  wondered what Holland could possibly point month’s pay to avoid that job, but he out to him at night. Even in daylight it was couldn’t get out of it without stating his unlikely that there would be anything to see.

  reason. He said crisply, “I’ll be in the foyer, And then, as they rounded the corner Mr. Holland,” and went out.

  of the wing, he saw well enough what there Halfway down the driveway,

  was to see. Emily was waiting for them with Detective Winn was drowsing behind the a rifle in her hands. She was so close that wheel of a squad car. Sheridan roused him between the blinking of his eyes the muzzle to tell him they were driving a prisoner in was against his chest.

  and then returned to the house. Peter

  “Go, Daddy,” Emily whispered

  Holland was waiting at the door with a hoarsely. “Try to send word to me where topcoat neatly folded over his arm. To you are.”

  Sheridan’s relief, Emily wasn’t in sight.

  Holland slid arm from Sheridan’s Briskly Holland stepped ahead and grip and said irritably: “I’ll be back before strode across the porch. Sheridan wondered morning.”

  about putting handcuffs on him, but you

  “Daddy, use sense. If you can get to don’t treat a big shot like Holland the way Mexico—”

  you would an ordinary prisoner. He hurried

  “You use sense.” Holland looked to keep up with him.

  around. “No, we’ll discuss it when I come At the head of the driveway Holland back. Maybe it will be only an hour or two.”

  stopped. “Will you do something for me?”

  With the topcoat over his arm, Peter

  “That depends,” Sheridan replied Holland sauntered off as if on a casual stroll.

  cautiously.

  He headed away from the road, toward

  “It’s only a small favor. Walk me distant trees. Bushes hid him when he was a around to the study windows.”

  hundred feet away, and he did not reappear

  “There’s nothing,” Sheridan told in Sheridan’s line of vision.

  him. “I looked.”

  Minutes clicked off. Across the

  “Ah.” Holland nodded, pleased.

  length of the rifle barrel Sheridan and Emily

  “There must be something in it if the same faced each other. In the half-light her thought occurred to you. I’d like to point out features were as static as a plaster cast. Her to you a possibility you may have white negligee was a splotch against the overlooked.”

  night.

  Sheridan hesitated. He could see Presently Sheridan said: “So I’m a Winn lounging in the squad car; probably prize sucker. When your father got his coat, he’d dozed off again. Well, a man charged he whispered to you to be waiting here with with murder was entitled to any break he a gun. You hid the rifle under your negligee could get. Sheridan said, “Why not?” and and slipped out of the house. And like a sap slipped his hand through Holland’s arm.

  I let him lure me here. How long do you They walked across the lawn toward the intend to keep me?”

  jutting wing, on the other side of which was

  “As long as I can.”

  the study.

  “This is long enough,” he told her.

  His arm snapped up under the barrel

  Mammoth Detective 8

  of the rifle, tilting it toward the sky.

  down the driveway. They stopped at a Her finger fell away from the trigger.

  parked sedan. She got behind the wheel and He wrenched the rifle out of her grip.

  started the motor and then reached through Emily stared at him. “You could the window to shake Curtis’ hand.

  have taken the rifle away from me at once,

  “Sheridan!” Captain Picard was on before Daddy fled!”

  the front porch, glaring down at him.

  “Sure, especially as I knew that you

  “Where the devil is Holland?”

  couldn’t bring yourself to shoot me.”

  “Escaped,” Sheridan said, walking

  “Then why—” She shook her head

  up the porch steps. “He had another gun on as if to clear fog out of it.

  him and pulled it and ran toward the road.”

  “Why did I give you father a chance

  “And what were you doing all this to escape after I called the police?” His time?”

  mouth twisted. “It seems my wings aren’t on

  “Chasing

  him.”

  so strong after all. And there was something Picard roared orders. Detectives he said right after you put the gun on me—

  poured out of the house and raced toward that he’d be back before morning. Guilty the cars. The headlights of Mrs. Bush’s car men don’t talk like that.”

  wound
down to the road, and Curtis, Emily moved closer to him, and

  returning, stopped to watch the excitement.

  there was a startled quality in her voice.

  “Like hell Holland escaped from

  “You mean that Daddy is innocent?”

  you!” Picard had returned his attention to

  “I didn’t see it at first,” he said. “The Sheridan. “You’re sweet on that girl of his.

  evidence seemed too strong against your You let him get away.”

  father, but a false note bothered me. Now I

  “Didn’t I find the body and call think I know why he wants a few more headquarters?” Sheridan argued placidly.

  hours of freedom.”

  That stopped Picard for a moment.

  At the front of the house Captain He scratched his nose. “Just the same, Picard’s voice boomed: “Hey, Winn, did there’s funny business. And where is Emily you see Miss Holland?”

  Holland? I suppose she escaped too?”

  More distantly Winn replied: “I’m

  “I’m here,” Emily announced.

  waiting for Sergeant Sheridan.”

  She had walked through the house

  “What! Didn’t he come out five

  from the back entrance and had just reached minutes ago with Holland?”

  the porch.

  “That’s my cue,” Sheridan

  Picard scowled at her and turned whispered to Emily. “You go into the house back to Sheridan. “Okay, so for the time through the back door. And no matter what being it will be negligence of duty. You’re happens don’t tell that you held me up, or suspended, Sheridan.”

  you’ll be arrested as an accessory.”

  Sheridan lifted his eyes past Picard’s

  “But, Van, how will you explain shoulder to Emily. Her head was high, and Daddy’s escape? Won’t you get in trouble?”

  when he smiled to her, she answered with a

  “Beat it,” he said and swung away wan smile of her own. And though his from her. He dropped the rifle into a flower troubles had only started, Sheridan felt fine bed against the house.

  again. Her eyes loved him and trusted him.

  He turned and walked slowly toward WHEN he turned the corner of the wing, he the road, muttering a prayer that her trust in saw Hubert Curtis escorting Mrs. Bush him would be justified.

  Cop with Wings 9

  interested in.

  IN SPITE of the lateness of the hour, two She crossed her arms over her bosom upper windows of the stucco house showed as if she were cold. “A woman’s shoe, you light. Shifting the newspaper-wrapped mean? But what can you tell from that? So bundle under his arm, Van Sheridan went up many women wear the same size.”

  to the front door and rang the bell. After a

  “You don’t know police science, long minute, he heard feet descend stairs and ma’am. Each shoe leaves as individual a then a voice asked: “Who is it?”

  print as a finger would. I suppose you took

  “The police. I’ve a couple of

  off your shoes in the bedroom.” He started questions to ask.”

  across the foyer.

  “But I’ve told you everything I Mrs. Bush stepped sideways to block know,” the voice protested breathlessly.

  him with her body. Her eyes were wild.

  “Sorry, ma’am,” Sheridan said, “but

  “Peter Holland has been arrested for the something else came up. It’ll only take a murder. Why bother me?”

  minute.”

  “So you’re afraid, Mrs. Bush?”

  There was a pause before the lock

  “I know my rights!” she shrilled.

  turned and the door opened. Mrs. Bush wore

  “You can’t search my house without a a robe over her full-blown body and her warrant.”

  blonde hair was loose over her shoulders.

  Sheridan brushed past her. She

  Evidently she had been about to go to bed.

  clawed at his shoulder. He wriggled out of

  “The servants don’t sleep in, so I’m her grasp and raced up the staircase. A nervous when I’m alone,” she said. “That’s broken, panicky sob followed him; her why I took so long to—” She broke off slippers slapped the stairs.

  when Sheridan stepped into the light.

  In the upstairs hall, light flowed from

  “You’re Emily’s boy friend. What do you an open door. He turned in there and found want?”

  himself in the master bedroom. A dress was

  “You know I’m a detective.” He

  carelessly flung over a chair; at the foot of looked down at her feet; she was wearing the chair were two high-heeled shoes. He slippers. “May I see the shoes you wore picked them up and turned.

  tonight?”

  She hadn’t followed him into the bedroom.

  “Shoes?” From under lowered lashes And he didn’t hear her anywhere in the she studied him cautiously. “What in the house.

  world are you talking about?”

  Dropping the shoes, he started out of Sheridan indicated the package under the bedroom. Mrs. Bush appeared before he his arm. “We found the print of a shoe was halfway to the door. In her hand was a outside the Holland house. This is a plaster small, snub-nosed automatic.

  cast of the print. We are matching up the shoes worn by the people who were at the SHERIDAN stopped dead. She was a good house tonight.”

  ten feet from him—close enough not to

  “But that’s ridiculous,” Mrs. Bush miss, too far for him to take the gun from protested. “I was there with my husband her. And she held it competently.

  earlier this evening to play bridge. Naturally

  “This won’t help,” he said dryly.

  I would have left footprints.”

  “The police will make another cast

  “Outside the study window?”

  of the shoeprint.” Mrs. Bush took a moment Sheridan smiled. “That’s the one we’re to think over his words. “But they won’t

  Mammoth Detective 10

  have the shoes I wore tonight. I’ll dispose of

  “The police know I came here.”

  them. That’s the only evidence against me.”

  “I’ll say you were here and left. Why Sheridan felt his mouth go dry. He should they suspect me? Why should they inched closer to her. She did not move; she think of digging in the cellar?”

  did not order him to stay back.

  She would do it, Sheridan knew, And he knew that she would shoot with the same cold calculation she had when she decided that he was close enough.

  murdered her husband. And she would do it Though no matter what he did, she now. The gun was raising a little to make would shoot anyway. “You’re pretty good sure of getting his heart. And his muscles with a gun,” he observed to gain time. “And lunged for a frantic, desperate lunge.

  you have ice in your veins. You planned the Mrs. Bush screamed and writhed.

  murder of your husband a long time in In astonishment Sheridan raised his advance.”

  eyes from the gun and saw Peter Holland’s Suddenly her face was old and

  big bulk fill the doorway at her back. His crumbled. “George deserved to die. He arms were wrapped around the woman.

  couldn’t stay away from any other woman.”

  Sheridan leaped in and tore the gun

  “Emily?” Sheridan asked tautly.

  from her. She slumped within the circle of

  “Emily was only the last, and she didn’t give Holland’s arms. He released her and she a hang for him. But George couldn’t believe sank to the floor and sat there sobbing with that any woman couldn’t be crazy over him, her face in her hands.

  and he kept pestering her. It was nothing.

  “Thanks,” Sheridan said, wiping But there were plenty of other women.”

  sweat from his brow. “I wondered if this Sheridan had known that that was the was where you were bound for. I was
n’t answer, that there had been nothing between sure and there wasn’t much time, so I had to Emily and George Bush, but it was good to work it independently. How were you going hear Mrs. Bush verify it. Though it hardly to get her to talk?”

  mattered because within seconds he would be beyond all feeling.

  HOLLAND flexed his big hands. “To choke He said: “So it was a simple matter a confession out of her, if there was no other of murderous jealousy. You were in the way. I’d slipped in through a downstairs house earlier tonight. You knew where Peter window when I heard the doorbell ring. I hid Holland kept his gun. You slipped into the and heard what you said to her. Well, you study and got it and then went through the got the confession.”

  motions of going home while your husband

  “Yes.” Sheridan lit a cigarette.

  stayed behind. You stood outside the study

  “Almost from the first there was a flaw in window, and when Holland stepped out of you being the killer. Not that I didn’t believe the room to get drinks, you shot your you ruthless enough to shoot down a man in husband. Then you wiped your fingerprints cold blood.”

  off the gun and threw it into the room and Holland

  chuckled.

  “But not in such a

  this time really went home so that the police stupid way.”