Murder Magic by Cary Moran Read online

  suspended head. He wondered just where Carl NEVER was he totally unconscious. He felt Amherst fitted. Why had he removed a packet hands pawing through his pockets, hurling his of letters from the dead man’s clothing? How belongings aside, a thick voice cursing with had he known that packet of letters was there?

  every movement. He tried to fight back the He caught Amherst’s eyes fixed on him cobwebs, but his head was ringing, roaring too glaringly, accusingly. Johnny grinned faintly greatly. The dark figure cursed again,

  and the man looked away.

  straightened and kicked him viciously in the Johnny had known Amherst for years,

  ribs. Then it trotted away down the path

  not as a friend, but as a bright lights playboy.

  toward the bay.

  He knew that lately Amherst had been

  Rain in his face finally revived

  drinking more than usual, had been cutting an Harding. He struggled erect, gulped in the even gayer swath along the primrose path.

  cool air and staggered down the pathway in Now where did it all fit? He remembered what the direction his assailant had taken. He Rita had said concerning an affair between passed the summerhouse, peered in. Empty.

  Rapinee and Thalia Fitzhugh. Plenty of motive Evidently the girl had not as yet come down.

  for murder there, but both Thalia and her He trotted on unsteadily. In the distance he husband had been on the right side of the saw the dark bulk of the boathouse. Lightning curtain! Their alibis were perfect. But what of revealed the pier reaching out into the

  the missing sapphire?

  breakers.

  He took the Scotch and soda offered

  Almost there he stumbled over

  by the servant, sipped it thoughtfully. Amherst something, sprawled at full length on the moved closer to the divan where Harding sat.

  gravel again. Cursing, he scrambled up. Again To the girl Sheila, beside him, Johnny said, lightning. He had stumbled over a body. He

  “Listen, I’ve got to talk to you privately.” He peered down at the face of the inert man. It kept his voice low but not too low. “There’s a was swarthy in the flickering light cast by his summerhouse at the end of that gravel walk cigarette lighter. Bulotti, the caretaker! Blood

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  ran down the side of his face from a two inch flashed the light inside and caught his breath.

  scalp wound. Johnny turned him over, let the Spread eagled on a stone bench was the body rain revive him. The man groaned. His little of Sheila, Rapinee’s assistant. Horrified eyes opened. He saw Johnny, spoke faintly.

  Johnny kept the light on her. The scanty

  “The boat—she is gone! Somebody negligee had been torn from her body. Her steal the boat! I come back to tell Mister breasts were criss-crossed with scars, the wake Fitzhugh and someone, somebody hit me on

  of clawing nails. Even her milky thighs were head!”

  splotched and bruised. Surely the marks of a Johnny got him on his feet. So the boat

  fiend! And the head! Ah, God, the head,

  was gone! The telephone out! No chance to literally split from pate to chin, by a gruesome get aid and a killer, a murderer loose on the weapon.

  island!

  The axe! The bloody axe!

  “Go back to the house and tell

  “Harding! Where are you, Harding?”

  Fitzhugh to come down here,” he said grimly.

  A voice from the house.

  “Give me that flashlight you’ve got there.”

  Amherst and Fitzhugh were standing

  The man handed him the light, started

  just outside the open doorway. “What is it?”

  for the house with staggering steps. Johnny panted Harding.

  headed for the boathouse. The waves beat

  Amherst’s clothes were wet, but he

  against the sturdy pier but no launch was to be was standing in the rain! Johnny’s heart sank.

  seen. He cast the rays of the light about in all

  “Bulotti,” said Fitzhugh in a thin

  directions, even over the water. The light voice. “We found him unconscious outside the penetrated for a few feet and he saw door. There’s a killer loose on this island!”

  something white beneath the surface. He ran Johnny grunted. “And he just killed

  into the boathouse, returned with an oar and Sheila, Rapinee’s girl in the summerhouse. I jabbed at the shimmering white thing. When found the body!”

  he arose, his lips were grim. The launch

  Amherst said, “My God!” His eyes

  hadn’t disappeared; it had been scuttled! It lay glowed strangely. “What’s the matter with in six feet of water at the end of the pier.

  you? There’s blood all over your face?”

  The light flashed again over the wet

  Johnny felt their hostile gazes on him,

  boards. At the very edge of the pier he saw wheeled and trotted into the house without gleaming metal.

  answering.

  It was an axe. It had not been there

  long, for Johnny saw with a thrill of horror TEN minutes later the group stood in the

  that the blade and handle was bloodstained.

  salon, nervous and distraught. Most of the Someone had been killed or assaulted with men were armed from Fitzhugh’s gunroom.

  that axe!

  All listening to Harding.

  Where was Fitzhugh? Damn it, this

  “All we can do is wait until daylight

  thing was getting thicker and thicker. He went and signal for help,” he said shortly. “In the back toward the house at a half run. As far as meantime you can comb the island for the

  the attack on he himself was concerned he killer if you like. Personally, I’m going to bed almost had it figured out. Probably Amherst in and get some rest.”

  search of the letters! If Amherst’s clothes were Fitzhugh

  snorted.

  “I don’t get you,

  damp, he’d beat the truth out of him. But the Harding. You claim to have been assaulted.

  sinking of the boat, the blood on the axe!

  Bulotti was knocked out and Rapinee and the AS he passed the summerhouse, he paused,

  woman were killed. How can you rest when

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  all of our lives are in danger?”

  party. At the head of the steps he listened,

  “Maybe,” Johnny’s voice was soft, “I

  heard Fitzhugh’s booming voice. “We’ve

  don’t think the killer is hiding on the island!

  searched every nook and cranny of the island Maybe I know who it is and I’m just waiting with no result: It’s my notion that the killer for the police.”

  had a boat and escaped, after killing the Silence. At least a dozen pair of eyes

  woman. But we’ll stand guard tonight and

  glared at Johnny. He lit a cigarette, sat down we’re certain to get relief by morning!”

  between Rita and her stepmother, Thalia, and watched sardonically while the men filed from the room.

  Talk lagged. Thalia said, “For God’s

  sake, let’s get out of this room. It gives me the creeps.”

  Presently in the library Johnny

  yawned, asked for a bed. Thalia directed him to the upper floor in a weary voice.

  Harding went to the designated room,

  turned on the light. From his pocket he

  withdrew the packet of letters he had hid in the upholstering of the hall chair. As he read them, his face was a study. They were

  passionate, inflamed, a woman’s soul laid bare. Addressed to Rapinee, they were written by Thalia Fitzhugh.

  He tiptoed to the head of the stairs,

  listened to the babble of voices below. He re-MIDNIGHT. Johnny lay on the bed and,

  entered room after room lit a match in each waked: Johnny was nervous,
for Johnny was and departed the way he came. The last room murder bait: He knew in his beast that one of on the east was the one he sought, Thalia’s the assembled guests had committed the

  bedroom.

  murders. By hinting, that he had found a clue, He moved pictures, looked behind he placed his own name at the top of the bookcases, but nowhere was a safe concealed.

  prospective list of victims.

  He searched the bureau, the vanity, all the A clock struck one. He heard the click

  furniture. At the bedside he rose with a grunt of the door, heard it open softly. He reached of satisfaction. In his hand was an immense his left hand to the cord of the bedlamp, his stack of stiff green bills. He thrust them in his right grasped a heavy candlestick. Padding pocket, tiptoed from the room.

  footsteps—the approach of the killer. His A French door let him onto the portico.

  nerves were tense, torturous. He could stand it He clambered down the trellis and headed for no longer. He pulled the chain of the bed-lamp the boathouse and the cottage where Bulotti and leaped to his feet.

  lived. He spent at least half an hour prying The wide eyes of Rita Fitzhugh stared

  carefully into nooks and crannies, another half down at him. She said, “Sssssh!” and came hour in the man’s workshop.

  toward him on bare feet. She wore a gauzy He returned to the house the way he

  nightdress, more revealing than concealing.

  had come, barely missing the returning search

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  Her pointed breasts surged against the thin room, Amherst glared viciously at the pair of material, the deep cleft between them was them.

  scarcely obscured. The odor of Scotch

  At nine-fifteen a police launch arrived

  whiskey was heavy on her breath.

  bearing Bill Nobles and various other

  Johnny grinned, dropped the members of the homicide squad, including candlestick, and sat down on the bed weakly.

  photographers, fingerprint men, and a doctor.

  She sat down beside him, put an arm about his The bodies were examined and photographed, shoulder, pressed a breast against his arm. The carried out in wicker baskets. The doctor heat of her round thigh burned into him. She reported that Sheila, the girl in the

  said, “I wasn’t kidding about going in a summerhouse, had been assaulted as well as musical, Johnny. You going to help me out?”

  murdered.

  He reached over and flipped off the

  Johnny Harding took Bill Nobles

  bedlamp. He said, “Sure!” She sighed and

  aside, spoke shortly. Nobles looked puzzled, nestled close to him with a little shiver.

  but sent a man to bring in everyone on the Once, nearly an hour later he thought

  place, including the servants. Once assembled, he heard the click of the door catch again. He Johnny took the dull scimitar from the wall.

  leaned over her, kissed her hard on the soft

  “Mr. Nobles has asked me to show

  flesh of a shoulder. She groaned ecstatically.

  him how this murder was committed,” he

  Johnny listened again—heard the door click spoke softly, “so if you folks will step back closed.

  into the places you had last night, I’ll show you how I’d reconstruct the crime. Bulotti will HE was up early walking about the exterior of you sit here in the chair where Rapinee sat?”

  the house. The telephone wire had been cut A step at a time, slowly, slowly Bulotti

  near the house itself and, with Bulotti’s help, came forward. He sat down gingerly. The

  he soon had it spliced. Bulotti looked like the others were arranged exactly as they had been aftermath of a hard night. To all of Johnny’s the night before. “The killer,” said Johnny, questions he answered nothing at all, merely

  “had the mate to this scimitar all sharpened grunted, rolling his eyes and doing his work and prepared. It had been ground to a razor with trembling hands.

  edge.

  Before the others were fully awakened,

  “He came in through this window

  Johnny was using the phone. His first call was while Rapinee was engrossed in his

  to Pete Jackson, financial editor of the preparations. One blow of the scimitar severed Telegraph. His second to Bill Nobles, head of the victim’s head. Like this.”

  the homicide squad.

  He drew back the dulled blade as if to

  Presently Jackson called him back, swing it. Beneath his breath he said, “Should I talked at some length. Johnny hung up the swing it, Bulotti? The chair is a terrible death!

  phone, went into the library where the others Imagine frying there, Bulotti, burning and had gathered, and announced that the line had smoking!

  been repaired, that the police were on their The Italian’s face did not change. Only

  way.

  the irises of his eyes expanded, his nostrils Instead of a noticeable air of relief

  quivered.

  appearing, tension seemed to set in. Amherst

  “The black cord,” went on Johnny,

  looked worried. Fitzhugh glared at Thalia; she

  “was to be used in one of Rapinee’s illusions.

  glared back. Rita pressed close to Johnny, an The killer is a mad man!”

  adoring smile on her face and, across the Sotto

  voce,

  “You’re mad, aren’t you,

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  10

  Bulotti? You’re insane, aren’t you? But that eyes expanded until they seemed etched on the won’t save you I And you murdered the girl—

  white eyeballs themselves. He swung a hard attacked her, too! They’ll burn you for that!”

  fist against Johnny’s jaw, staggering him. He

  “He liked the sight of the blood. He

  dove for the window, but Bill Noble’s slug wanted to do something spectacular so while tore into his shoulder, dropped him to the the girl danced he hung the head, suspended it floor.

  above the still quivering body!”

  Softly,

  “Didn’t you, Bulotti? It looked

  HARDING said, “He killed Rapinee. The only fine, didn’t it? Dripping gore, running blood! ”

  place on the island that has a grindstone is his tool shop. He sharpened the death scimitar, NOBLES broke in. “Very pretty, Johnny. You came in through the window, and cut off the say you have this on your hip. What motive mystic’s head. After Fitzhugh sent him for did the killer have?”

  help, he sank the boat, committed another

  “Money,” said Johnny softly. “The murder then hit himself in the head to divert killer himself was only a tool. Another man suspicion. He killed Sheila because he or the paid him to commit the murder, Rapinee had a man behind him was afraid she wasn’t fully jewel worth much money. Find it and you find under the influence of hypnotism. Bulotti the killer.”

  assaulted her because the sight of warm red

  “Where did you put it, Bulotti,” sotto blood excited him. He’s insane. You can read voce again. The Italian rolled his eyes, licked it in hrs eyes.”

  at his lips.

  Dead silence. Johnny cleared his

  “And Rapinee had something else throat. He laid a package of letters and a sheaf worth much money. Rapinee had been of bills on the table. “The murder was blackmailing a party in this household. That committed for these, Bill. I learned last night party was to pay him last night for the return that a certain guest here has promised to back of eleven letters. Rapinee had them. The Rita Fitzhugh in a musical comedy. I happen person had the money. The man that hired the to know that guest is broke, that he’s run killer wanted one or both. He was desperately through a sizeable fortune and has spent part in need of money himself. He paid the of his business partner’s money. I checked on murderer to do the killing but the insane killer that this morning.”

  forgot to search for the let
ters or the money!”

  Only the sound of strident breathing

  His voice sank to a whisper. “Didn’t

  filled the room. Johnny grinned cheerfully at you, Bulotti? The blood was so red, so pretty!

  Rita.

  You forgot everything else!”

  “Through little Miss Dimwit there, this

  “That’s

  enough,”

  Marshall Fitzhugh guest learned that Thalia was being said warily. “I killed him, Nobles. He was blackmailed for about thirty grand for some blackmailing my wife just as Harding says.

  love letters she wrote in a moment of

  She came to me, told me and I killed him.

  weakness. The payoff was to be last night.

  Harding is mistaken about everything but the This gentleman determined to get the letters or blackmail angle. I came in through the the money. He hired Bulotti to do the job for window—”

  him. But he didn’t know Bulotti was a blood

  “Tell him he lies, Bulotti. Tell him it

  killer! Either Bulotti or the master mind got was you!” Johnny roared the words.

  the jewel Rapinee always wore in his turban.

  Bulotti leaped to his feet, spittle I—”

  trickling down his mouth. The pupils of his A new voice broke in. Over near the

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  mantel Carl Amherst glared at Rita and said, He shrugged. A small gun whipped up

  “You damned dumb little fool! So it was you in his hand. Nobles and a uniformed

  that spent the night with Harding! And I policeman dove for him but the muzzle thought it was Thalia!” Every eye was on the disappeared into his mouth, his finger

  paunchy little man. His eyes glowed with tightened and a muffled sound rang out. As he strange fires, his teeth were bared in a snarl of fell, smoke poured from his mouth.