Jane felt a trickle of perspiration down her back. "I don't—no, I don't, sir," she faltered. Her eyes were round as saucers and she looked frightened.
"Really a horrible idea," said Grandy thoughtfully. "That she hanged herself before my eyes, eh? While I watched?"
Francis shrugged.
"Oh, I see!” cried Grandy. "Dear me, I hanged her!"
"The odd part of it is," said Francis, "that you did, and I can prove it."
"That would be very odd indeed," said Grandy. "How?"
"Oh, not the icebox light." Francis tossed this at him. But Grandy's head did not tremble from its bright, interested pose. "Althea told me and one other person, who will remember what was said and so testify." Francis hesitated. "You see you killed Althea
a trifle too late."
"So," said Grandy rather more heavily, "Althea too? My lovely girl, the one I've lost."
Jane let out a childish whimper. Grandy looked across at her. “My dear," he said tenderly, "can you bear to hear the rest of this? I'd like you to. Try not to feel. Just listen to the words."
Jane bent her head.
"Now," said Grandy, turning to Francis, his eyes glinting, "proceed, Mr. Howard."
Francis thought, Jane's fooled him. He's acting for Jane. He marshaled his attack.
"Althea turned the radio up, if you remember-or even if you don't"—Francis caught and controlled his temper—"at precisely the moment you entered the kitchen and closed that door. She was struck by a phrase said over the air. She remembered it clearly. That program was recorded at the time, Mr. Grandison. It gives away the exact minute. The minute you left this room. And that minute was ten thirty-five. Not earlier."
Grandy said, "My dear boy." He said it gently, with pity. "When did Althea tell you this?"
"The evening—the night she died."
"What a day and a night you've had since." Grandy spoke softly. "That is, if she really did—or even if you, for any reason, believe this story."
Francis found his throat unmanageable. The evil old bird was so full of pity. He was turning it, pretending to be seeing a point of view. He was not worried, not even looking worried. He was not reacting according to plan. The scene wasn't going right. A guilty
man, accused, had no business to look so sorry for his accuser, so successfully sorry.
Grandy said, as if to be fair, "After all, you are nearly a stranger here. But even so, dear boy, what reason do you imagine I would have had for such a deed as that?" Then, almost gaily, "Come, Mr. Howard, I must have a motive."
"My wife's money," said Francis, "was and is your motive."
"Eh?"
“You played around with it. Rosaleen Wright found out."
"Oh, dear. Oh, dear." Grandy took off his pince-nez and rubbed his eyes. "Yes?" he said. The black eyes were brimming with mirthful tears. "But Mathilda isn't your wife at all, Mr. Howard. You see, we know that."
Francis heard Jane's gasp. Oh, good girl, Jane. He said aloud, coldly, "Would you be willing to let me or anyone examine the records of the Frazier fortune?"
"Certainly," said Grandy. "This does seem so silly. As for Althea's story, what occurs to me, Mr. Howard, is the thought that Althea told no story. I think you invented it."
"Two of us invented it?"
"That's not impossible," said Grandy smoothly. "Who is your—er—corroborator?"
"In view of my opinion of you," said Francis evenly, "I don't believe I care to say."
Grandy leaned back. "You don't mean it," he challenged. "You're not serious."
“I'm serious.”
"Isn't it too bad," said Grandy in a moment, "that Althea isn't here to help us? Oh, I see! I see! That's why I'm supposed to have done her in? Well, really, that's not unsound. That's good thriller-level reasoning, Mr. Howard."
Francis bit on his cheek. "Also," he said, struggling to stay calm and seem confident, "there is Rosaleen's false suicide note. Cribbed out of an old book. What did you do? Ask her to copy it one day?"
Grandy's face fell. "Poor Rosaleen. Poor child " he crooned. "I didn't like to point out what she'd done. Poor sick little mind! Did we delve too much, I wonder, into old crimes and ancient madness?"
"Sick mind, my eye!" Francis shot up out of his chair. "And Althea was sick, too, wasn't she? Although nobody saw any signs of it but you. What will Mathilda be when her time comes? Or anybody else you decide to get rid of? Let me show you something now." He slammed the paper down on the desk, keeping his palm on it. “That's Mathilda's will. And I warn you, see to it that Mathilda doesn't diet Because, if she does, I don't think you'll care to have me and my lawyers going into financial history."
Grandy's eyes flickered. Francis held his breath, but the old man's hand was steady. He touched the paper. He read it. He took off his pince-nez and looked up.
"A forgery," he said softly. Brown eyes met black. Jane in her corner trembled.
"Do I see it all now?" mused Grandy, cocking his head. "Did you think she was lost at sea? Did you think you'd cut a piece of money with your fantastic story? I can understand so far, yes, indeed. But what are you up to now? Ah! Am I to pay you for suppressing your little ideas?"
Francis could have wrung his skinny neck. Might have done so, indeed, if Jane hadn't cried out.
"There now, you've frightened Jane," said Grandy in pouting reproach. There was no breaking there, no self-betrayal, no guilty squirm, no fear in this man. He was untouched, bland, confident, and the voice was sirup-smooth. Francis knew himself to be too angry to think, to have been outdone in self-control, and out-bluffed.
He turned and said stiffly to Jane, Tm sorry if I frightened you." He said to Grandy, as quietly as he could, “I'll take my little ideas to Gahagen, then."
"Dear boy," said Grandy warmly, "if you believe all that nonsense, you most certainly should go to Gahagen or someone. Besides," he added ruefully, "although for my part, I only wish I could help you—I'm afraid you do need help rather badly—still, I did rather promise Tyl to kick you out the door."
Francis said, "Don't bother, Mr. Grandison." He left the room.
When he had gone, Jane thought, For my life, for my life. She twisted her hands, filled her china-blue eyes with horror. "Oh, Mr. Grandison, wasn't he awful?"
"Poor chap," said Grandy. "The fellow s a fraud, of course. My poor Tyl—"
"Oh, Mr. Grandison!" cried Jane, for her life. "Nobody's going to believe anything he says! He was just trying to make trouble!"
"And well he may make trouble," said Grandy. He put his hands to his forehead wearily. "Run, fetch me some coffee, my dear. That's a good girl. Yes, do."
"Oh, Mr. Grandison!" quavered Jane, still acting for her life. "I can't tell you how sorry I feel that you have to be bothered—"
She got out the door and stood trying to control a fit of nervous shaking.
Grandy drew over his desk phone, gave a number. "Press? . . . Ah, my dear fellow, there is something I'd like you to do for me. . . . Yes, I thought you would." Then his voice cracked like a whip, 'This must be quick. Do you understand?"
"Whatever you say," said the man on the other end hopelessly.
Chapter Twenty-two
When Mathilda got down to the kitchen for her breakfast, there was only Oliver. He was sitting over a saucer full of cigarette butts.