Jack and Susan in 1933 (37 page)
Read Jack and Susan in 1933 Online
Authors: Michael McDowell
She smiled.
“I love you,” he said.
“I love you, too,” she said, “but I wish you hadn't lighted the candle.”
She looked around. They were trapped in the base of a hill of loose earth. The passage back to the surface was entirely blocked off.
Earth continued to spill down from the ceiling of the passage, gathering around their waists.
“Maybe it will stop,” said Susan.
They waited and listened. The earth continued to spill down.
“Let me look at you once more, and then I'll blow out the candle,” said Jack.
He gazed at her. She smiled.
Jack sighed, and blew out the candle.
They were silent for a few moments, listening to the falling earth.
“I think it's slowing down,” said Susan. “Or am I just fooling myself?”
Jack didn't answer, not wanting to hex it.
“It
is
slowing down,” said Susan a few moments later.
“It's stopped,” said Jack. The earth was up to Susan's neck, a little lower on the taller Jack.
They still held hands, just above the level of the dirt. “Shall we start digging?” Susan asked.
“I don't want to take any chances disturbing this hill,” said Jack. “Besides, where would we put the dirt? There's hardly room for our heads.”
“Then we just wait for Blossom,” said Susan. “She knows where we are. We should be all right for a while, shouldn't we?”
“If the air holds out,” said Jack.
They were silent a few moments more.
“I hope the dogs are safe,” said Susan.
“I don't think MacIsaac made it, though,” said Jack. “Do you think he was telling the truth when he said he didn't murder Marcellusâand that Harmon did?”
“Yes, I do,” said Susan. She was silent a moment, and then asked, “Do you know how much money Harmon had, by any chance?”
“No, I've no idea,” said Jack. “Is there some reason you ask that at this particular time?”
“Just curious. I have a feelingâ”
“What sort of feeling?”
“Harmon always spent pretty freely,” said Susan, “before I was married to him, and afterward, too. Maybe he didn't have as much as he'd like everybody to think he had. He handled Marcellus's finances, didn't he?”
“Nominally,” said Jack. “I can't imagine he did it all himself. Try to push some of the dirt away from your stomach,” he suggested, “it'll make breathing easier.”
“Good idea,' said Susan, and started to push away as much of the loose earth as she could. ”But perhaps Harmon really was handling Marcellus's money, and maybe he was stealing some of it, and maybe Marcellus found out, and maybe Harmon murdered him so that he wouldn't be caught.”
“But if he were just doing all this for money,” asked Jack, “why was he going after Barbara?”
“Did you buy all Barbara's clothes?”
“On my salary? You must be joking. Marcellus took care of Barbara's wardrobe.”
“No he didn't,” said Susan. “He told me so. It must have been Harmon. Barbara probably didn't care if he was stealing from Marcellus, so long as she could buy little leopardskin capelets.”
“Always hated that cape,” said Jack. “Made Barbara look like she had contracted some new strain of chicken pox.”
I heard that
, cried a muffled voice.
Jack momentarily let go Susan's hand.
“Was that Barbara?”
“Either that,” said Susan, “or else we've already died and gone to hell.”
I'm so angry with you two!
came the muffled voice again.
“You're angry with
us
?”
The voice was suddenly clearer, and accompanying it was a beam of white light that shone down from somewhere near the ceiling into Jack's eyes.
Then it moved over to Susan's.
“Barbara? Is that you?” asked Jack.
“Of course it's me,” she said. “And you two are holding hands.”
The light shone on their clasped hands.
“Barbara,” said Susan, “you're making the dirt spill faster. You're going to bury us alive if you're not careful.”
“It would serve you two right,” Barbara retorted. “You especially, Susan. Why didn't you warn me about Harmon?”
“What about Harmon?”
“He's a snake. A reptile. He killed Father. Did you know that?
He killed my father
. If I had known that, I certainly would never have asked him to seduce me.”
“You
asked
him to seduce you?” cried Jack.
“You had those broken ribs,” Barbara explained dismissively. She directed her light directly into Susan's face. “The only reason he was going to marry me was he thought Father was rich. And because he found me totally irresistible, of course. Then he found out that Father had spent all his money on smuggling in real liquor from Montreal, so there was no point in marrying me just because he was desperately in love with me.
Then
he found out that this mine was worth a mint, so he was going to throw me over and keep
you
. That
snake
.”
“Barbara,” said Jack, “let me point out that you weren't married to Harmon. You were married to me, so you had no rightâ”
“Oh, shut up, Jack. This has nothing to do with you. This is between Susan and me.”
“Barbara, did you see a spade over there? On your side?”
“I tripped on the damned thing.”
“You think you might dig us out?” Jack asked.
“I couldn't possibly,” said Barbara definitely.
“Why not?” Susan asked.
“I'm wearing suede.”
Eventually, however, Blossom showed up with Wesley and Colleen, and the hill of loose earth that had trapped Jack and Susan was tunneled through.
“Mr. MacIsaac is under here somewhere,” said Susan. “I don't think he was as lucky as we were.”
“We'll find him,” said Colleen, spade in hand. Digging up a crushed and suffocated corpse in a mine tunnel looked exactly like the sort of work that tested her mettle.
“Where's Harmon?” Jack asked.
“Wesley tied him to some piece of furniture or other,” said Blossom vaguely, “and is now on the way to find somebody who's capable of making an arrest. You two go on now. We'll take care of this.”
Jack and Susan walked slowly and wearily toward the entrance of the mine. Barbara sauntered along beside them, holding the flashlight.
“I heard him,” she explained. “I was in the next room, quite by accident, I assure you, and I
heard
Harmon talking to that dreadful detective, and he told him to find you and kill you both. There were times, Susan, I admit it, when I wished that you were dead. But believe me, I would never have
paid
for the pleasure. But Harmon told the detective he'd give him ten thousand dollars if he did it.” Barbara snorted contempt. “I asked Harmon for five thousandâ
nothing
âfor my summer wardrobe, and he told me he couldn't afford it. That
snake
.”
“How do you know he killed Marcellus?” Susan asked.
“Oh, they went on a bit about blackmail and that sort of thing.” Barbara shrugged. “Harmon did it. He was up there that weekend. He knew exactly what was going on. And that will? You know that will? Father didn't leave you
anything
, Susan. It was a fake. Harmon forged it to make you look guilty. If you hadn't torn it up, he would have torn it up himself. He was going to blame the murder on you, and get you convicted to get rid of youâif he didn't murder you outright. I think he probably would have pushed you out a window. That's how I'd do it.”
“I suppose I should thank you for saving my life,” said Susan dryly.
Barbara was silent a moment, and then she leaned close, and whispered into Susan's ear, “You wouldn't give Jack back, would you? In gratitude?”
“Absolutely not,” said Susan.
Barbara sighed.
“But remember,” Susan added in the same confidential whisper, “I'm the one with money now. Jack doesn't have anything, and once Harmon goes to prison, he won't even have a job. So you'd be much better off letting Jack go and finding a rich man.”
Barbara considered this for a moment.
“What are you two talking about?” asked Jack.
“Oh, nothing,” said Barbara cheerfully. “Just girl talk. Susan and I are best friends now. There's nobody else in the world I would allow to marry my only husband.”
“Barbara's going to find a new husband who's very rich and very good-looking and wants to be told what to do every moment of the day,” said Susan.
“That's right,” said Barbara. “And when I've found him, we'll all take bridge lessons from the Culbertsons.”
The light at the entrance of the mine was dazzling.
THE END OF
JACK AND SUSAN'S ADVENTURE
IN 1933
For Mr. Wilson, Ms. Goodman,
and Ms. Goodman-Wilson
All the characters and events portrayed in this work are fictitious.
JACK & SUSAN IN 1933
A Felony & Mayhem “Wild Card” mystery
PUBLISHING HISTORY
First edition (Ballantine): 1987
Felony & Mayhem print and electronic editions: 2013
Copyright © 1987 by Michael McDowell
All rights reserved
E-book ISBN: 978-1-937384-64-7
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