“The finger-prints on the gun are the most important evidence. A jury will act on those. The other things are mere surmise.”
Captain Mahoney stared at the lawyer.
“Humph,” he said.
“As a matter of fact,” pursued the attorney, “the butler was out for a little while last night. I tried to locate him just after Mr. Raine went out, and—”
The butler’s motion was so bafflingly swift that the eye could hardly follow. He had edged near the gun which lay on the table. With a sweep of his hand he scooped it up, fired, all in one motion.
The attorney’s stomach took the bullet. A look of surprised incredulity spread over his countenance; before that look was wiped out by the crashing impact of two more bullets.
Sam Mokley jumped back, waving the gun at Zoom and Captain Mahoney.
“Get your hands up,” he said.
But he had forgotten something — the police dog.
The animal made a swift spring, a tawny streak of motion. Teeth clamped about the wrist that held the gun. Seventy-five pounds of hurtling weight, amplified by the momentum of the rush, crashed downward upon that extended arm. The dog twisted his powerful neck, flung himself in a wrenching turn.
The weapon dropped from nerveless fingers.
Captain Mahoney stepped forward, handcuffs glistened.
“Let go, Rip, and lie down,” said Sidney Zoom.
The police dog relaxed his hold.
Sam Mokley extended his wrists for the handcuffs, the right wrist dripping blood from the fangs of the dog.
“Put ’em on,” he said, his voice calm, his face utterly without emotion. “I got that lying, cheating, murdering double crossing lawyer. You’re right in everything, only both Gearhard and I went after Raine.
“The lawyer put up the plan to me on the way. I had a criminal record. He knew it. He got me the job here. He proposed that we had a chance to kill off old Raine, blame the murder on the girl. He’d stick by me, and I’d split my inheritance with him.
“He made me do the shooting so I’d be in his power. But I don’t know how in hell you ever found the gun. We took it down to the bay and dumped it in the water.”
Captain Mahoney turned to Sidney Zoom.
That individual was smiling, a cold, efficient smile.
“Certainly, captain. I had to victimize you a little to set the stage just the way I wanted it. Rip’s well trained and intelligent, but even he couldn’t have done what he appeared to do. The finger-prints on the gun are my own. I knew that the murder had been committed with a single shot from a forty-five automatic. Therefore I bought a similar gun, put very evident finger-prints on it, buried it where Rip could see it.
“When I told him to search for the gun, he naturally thought we were playing a game. He went to the place where I had placed the weapon — after I’d led him to the general vicinity. I thought it might help us in a third degree.”
Captain Mahoney stared angrily at Zoom.
“And you left it loaded, ready to shoot because you thought that—”
Zoom shrugged his shoulders.
“As you said, you need evidence to convict.”
Captain Mahoney sighed.
“Zoom, you’re the most ruthless devil I ever saw work on a case... And how about the girl? Even if you have the right hunch about her, she must have come here and stolen the gems. She broke the necklace, didn’t realize it until she got to her room. Then she found a part of the string and, of course, tried to conceal it... and she tore the name off the mail box. I wonder if she didn’t conceal those gems in the mail box. Do you know?”
Sidney Zoom met his gaze.
“Do you know, captain, you’re rather clever — at times. But I don’t think even you are clever enough to ever find out what became of those gems — or to get a case that you can make out against the girl for their theft. You know it takes evidence to convict.
“Personally, I have an idea those gems will eventually be sold to a collector who will be glad to pay a top price with no questions asked — and that the girl will receive the present of a sum of money.”
Captain Mahoney licked his lips.
“Zoom, your ideas of justice are, perhaps, all right at times. But you’re sworn to enforce the law. You’ve got to do your duty.”
Zoom grinned.
“You forget you made me turn in my star and commission. Come, come, captain, you’re going to get lots of credit for having solved a murder case swiftly and efficiently. You’d better let it go at that.
“And while you’re talking about law, remember that there’s always a higher law than man-made laws. Personally, I rather like that biblical admonition about the man who is without sin being the one to throw the first stone.”
Captain Mahoney took a deep breath.
“Zoom, what a strange mixture you are! Big-hearted about some things to the point of taking risks, ruthless about others!”
Zoom shrugged.
“I live life as I see it.”
It was Mokley who interrupted.
“Come on, cap, let’s get this thing over with... to think that damned crook Gearhard fell for that third degree stuff! And him a lawyer! He was the one who was going to see that I had a cinch... stand back of me in a crisis, and all that! Then the dirty snake tried to squirm out from under and let me take the rap!
“Well, if there’s anything in this divine justice business, this guy talks about, he certainly got his — the crook!”
Captain Mahoney went to the telephone.
“Send the homicide squad, the coroner and the wagon,” he said, when he had contacted headquarters, “and tell Sergeant Gromley to lay off that Raine woman. He’s got a wrong hunch.”
The Green Door
Chapter I
The Fleeing Girl
Sidney Zoom swung the big sedan at the corner, crawled in close to the curb. He drove after the manner of cruising cab drivers who prowl the midnight streets looking for belated fares.
But the big sedan was no cab, nor would it readily be mistaken for one. It was low to the ground, long, slim, built for speed. The engine purred in powerful pulsations under the glistening sweep of the long hood. The body was streamlined for speed.
Beside the driver sat a police dog, yellow eyes glinting with a hard gleam of intense interest as he scanned the sidewalks, swept his gaze down the dark side streets.
The night was calm, and Sidney Zoom did not like the tranquillity of calm nights. He preferred, instead, the howl of the wind, the whip of rain, the lash of savage seas.
Upon such nights of storm Sidney Zoom could usually have been found out beyond the heads, aboard his yacht the Alberta F, fighting the crashing seas, the light of joy in his eyes.
Zoom enjoyed the thrill of conflict, whether with man or with nature. And this night, being too calm to offer adventure in his yacht, sent him patrolling the midnight streets, searching for some adventure which would offer excitement.
The car crossed an intersection. The dog gave a throaty growl, flattened forward on his forefeet, muzzle pressing close to the windshield.
Sidney Zoom’s foot touched the brake.
A running figure was coming down that side street, and the figure was that of a woman. Once she shot a glance over her shoulder, and then increased her speed.
She was running, not as most women run, trying to maintain some semblance of grace, careful lest their modesty shall be sacrificed to speed; but she was running as people run who are in a blind panic, heedless of appearances.
Her skirt impeded the action of her legs, and the left hand grasped at the folds, pulled it well above the knees. The feet spurned the pavement with a force and vigor which would have done credit to a trained sprinter.