“Hours ago.”
“Well?”
“I wanted you to know that I’ve instructed my attorney to get me put in charge of Addison Stearne’s estate.”
“My lawyer phoned a few minutes ago and told me the application had been filed,” Pearl Right said in a voice that held no expression.
“Are you going to contest?”
“I don’t know.”
“It would be better if you didn’t.”
Mrs. Right regarded her visitor thoughtfully. She wore a blue velvet housecoat and light blue mules with white puff’s at the tops. Her face was as fully made up as though for the street. Her cheeks had been carefully rouged, and her hair combed. There was even mascara on her eyelashes. There was the red imprint of lipstick on the side of the coffee cup just below the rim, but she had renewed the color of her lips.
“Well?” Miss Moline asked.
“I suppose you think you have something on me. You’re trying to tell me I’ll have to behave or else. Is that it?”
Nita Moline said impatiently, “Snap out of it, Pearl. I want to talk with you.”
“Go ahead and talk.”
“Addison Stearne provided in his will that the bulk of his property would go to Arthur. But if Arthur died first, then everything except a few thousand went to me. Did you know that?”
“Not exactly, but I’d supposed it would be something like that. He hated me. Of course, he’d try to keep me from having the benefit of any of his money.”
“It was a crazy thing to do,” Nita Moline said. “There’s a good chance for a lawsuit.”
“Why?”
“Trying to determine which died first. As I understand it, from the position in which the bodies were found, Addison may have died before Arthur,”
“That means I get the money?” Pearl Right asked, regarding Nita Moline with steady eyes.
“That means you get the money.”
“And that’s why you’re here?”
“In a way, yes.”
There was a sudden sharp suspicion in Pearl Right’s eyes. “You wouldn’t be here unless you thought Addison Stearne had died first. You’re here trying to...”
“Don’t be silly, Pearl. I’m here trying to talk sense. It’s quite possible the question of who died first will never be solved. Personally, I see no reason for you and me throwing a lot of money to the birdies.”
“Meaning I should step aside and give you everything?”
“No. Meaning that we’ll act sensibly. I’ll take charge of the estate for the purpose of getting it all together, finding out just what property there is, and carrying on with Addison’s business. I won’t touch a penny of the money, except to see that business is carried on. By that time, we’ll know who died first — if we can ever get definite proof.”
Pearl Right said, “Arthur probably left a will disinheriting me. It would be the same in any event so far as I’m concerned. If Arthur died first, you’d get the money. If he didn’t, we’d both be out.”
“Do you know if he left a will?”
“No.”
“Didn’t he leave some insurance?”
“Oh, I suppose so.”
“You’re the beneficiary of any policies, aren’t you?”
“I guess so. I suppose you know the relationship between us?”
Nita Moline hesitated a moment, then said, “I don’t know as that needs to enter into it, Pearl. This is just a business matter.”
Pearl Right said bitterly, “Addison Stearne broke us up. If he hadn’t been killed, I’d have sued him for alienation of affections.”
“For how much?”
“Two hundred thousand dollars. The papers were all ready.”
“Why did you want to do that, Pearl?”
“You know why.”
Nita Moline shook her head.
Pearl Right said, with growing feeling, “Well, you should know why. You were the one that was back of it all. How did you know that I’d left a letter for Arthur?”
“I’d rather not go into that.”
Pearl Right regarded her visitor curiously. “You’re a queer one,” she said. “If I weren’t too numbed to feel any emotion, I’d hate you. As it is, I’m trying to get you classified. I sup-pose that telephone call to me at Catalina was selfish.”
“Why?” Nita Moline asked.
“Because you didn’t want the letter I’d left for Arthur published.”
“I didn’t!” Nita Moline exclaimed in surprise.
“Yes.”
“Why not?”
“Because you were mentioned in it.”
“What are you talking about?”
Pearl Right said, “Are you going to try to tell me you didn’t know what Arthur and Addison Stearne were hatching up on that yachting trip?”
“I haven’t the faintest idea.”
Increasing bitterness came into Mrs. Right’s voice. “Oh, no, you haven’t the faintest idea. The subject’s getting pretty close to home now, isn’t it?”
“What do you mean?”
“You know what I mean. Addison Stearne wanted to get rid of you. He was afraid you might sue him for breach of promise, unless he eased you out of the picture very tactfully. He’d known for a long time Arthur was crazy about you. And Arthur was so simple, he’d never suspect that you and Addison were...”
Nita Moline jumped to her feet. “Pearl, don’t you say that! That’s a lie! That’s...”
“Oh, no, it isn’t. Addison always hated me. He tried to turn Arthur against me. Well, he finally succeeded. And he man-aged to dangle you in front of Arthur’s eyes and keep talking about you until Arthur fell in love with you.”
“Pearl, you’re crazy.”
She said sneeringly, “I suppose you want me to believe that you didn’t know.”
“He... Why, I’d only seen him a few times.”
“On yachting trips.”
“He’d been on some trips with Addison when I’d been along.”
Pearl Right said, almost musingly, “Addison poisoned Arthur’s mind against me. But Arthur didn’t realize he was in love with you until Thursday — not that it makes a great deal of difference. He’s dead now. He told me Friday night that we were all finished. He was in love with you. He said if I didn’t go to Reno and get a divorce, he would.”
Nita Moline said, “Pearl, please believe me. I never knew anything of that. Honestly I didn’t.”
“Bosh! You knew what would be in the letter I’d left for him when I walked out Saturday. You knew the officers would come here. You didn’t want them to find that letter. You didn’t want your name dragged into it — and speaking of keeping your name out of the mess, suppose you tell me what actually happened up there at Santa Delbarra?”
“What do you mean, Pearl?”
“You know what I mean. How long were you aboard that yacht before you gave the alarm?”
“Why, just a few minutes. I...”
“Long enough to get rid of the gun and perhaps the note.”
“What do you mean?”
She said, “Arthur would have left a note. He’s like that.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Oh, yes, you do. Addison wanted Arthur to meet him in Santa Delbarra. That was when Addison was going to see that Arthur had a chance to tell you of his infatuation. — Your friend, Addison, talked too much. I knew that some day Arthur would kill him. I even tried to get to Addison’s office last week to warn him, but he wouldn’t see me.”
“Pearl, what are you talking about?”
“You know what I’m talking about. Arthur was absolutely crazy about you. He told me so Friday. And I was afraid Addison would let something slip about your relationship. Arthur had begun to suspect. Something I... Well, Arthur killed him, and then committed suicide. He’d have left a note. You came aboard the yacht and found the bodies. You tossed the gun overboard so it would look like murder, and heaven knows what you did with the note — not that I blame you. I’d probably have done the same thing under similar circumstances, but we may as well understand each other.”