The Roman Hat Mystery (11 page)

“
So,
”
continued the Inspector, leaning back again comfortably,
“
so my old friend Parson Johnny doesn
’
t know a thing about Monte Field. Well, well, well! We
’
ll see how your lady-friend
’
s story backs you up.
”
As he talked he looked steadily at the hat in the gangster
’
s hand. It was a cheap black fedora, matching the sombre suit which the man was wearing.
“
Here, Parson,
”
he said suddenly.
“
Hand over that hat of yours.
”

He took the head piece from the gangster
’
s reluctant hand and examined it. He pulled down the leather band inside, eyed it critically and finally handed it back.

“
We forgot something, Parson,
”
he said.
“
Officer, suppose you frisk Mr. Cazzanelli
’
s person, eh?
”

The Parson submitted to the search with an ill grace, but he was quiescent enough.
“
No gat,
”
said the policeman briefly, and continued. He put his hand into the man
’
s hip pocket, extracting a fat wallet.
“
Want this, Inspector?
”

Queen took it, counted the money briskly, and handed it back to the policeman, who returned it to the pocket.

“
One hundred and twenty-two smackers, Johnny,
”
the old man murmured.
“
Seems to me I can smell Bonomo silk in these bills. However!
”
He laughed and said to the bluecoat,
“
No flask?
”
The policeman shook his head.
“
Anything under his vest or shirt?
”
Again a negative. Queen was silent until the search was completed. Parson Johnny relaxed with a sigh.

“
Well, Johnny, mighty lucky night this is for you
―
Come in!
”
Queen said at a knock on the door. It opened to disclose the slender girl in usherette
’
s uniform whom he had questioned earlier in the evening. Johnson came in after her and closed the door.

Madge O
’
Connell stood on the rug and stared with tragic eyes at her lover, who was thoughtfully studying the floor. She flashed a glance at Queen. Then her mouth hardened and she snapped at the gangster.
“
Well? So they got you after all, you sap! I told you not to try to make a break for it!
”
She turned her back contemptuously on the Parson and began to ply a powderpuff with vigor.

“
Why didn
’
t you tell me before, my girl,
”
said Queen softly,
“
that you got a pass for your friend John Cazzanelli?
”

“
I ain
’
t telling everything, Mr. Cop,
”
she answered pertly.
“
Why should I? Johnny didn
’
t have anything to do with this business.
”

“
We won
’
t discuss that,
”
said the Inspector, toying with his snuffbox.
“
What I want you to tell me now, Madge, is whether your memory has improved any since I spoke to you.
”

“
What d
’
ya mean?
”
she demanded.

“
I mean this. You told me that you were at your regular station just before the show started
―
that you conducted a lot of people to their seats
―
that you didn
’
t remember whether you ushered Monte Field, the dead man, to his row or not
―
and that you were standing up at the head of the left aisle all during the performance.
All
during the performance, Madge. Is that correct?
”

“
Sure it is, Inspector. Who says I wasn
’
t?
”
The girl was growing excited, but Queen glanced at her fluttering fingers and they became still.

“
Aw, cut it out, Madge,
”
snapped the Parson unexpectedly.
“
Don
’
t make it no worse than it is. Sooner or later he
’
ll find out we were together anyways, and then he
’
d have something on you. You don
’
t know this bird. Come clean, Madge!
”

“
So!
”
said the Inspector, looking pleasantly from the gangster to the girl.
“
Parson, you
’
re getting sensible in your old age. Did I hear you say you two were together? When, and why, and for how long?
”

Madge O
’
Connell
’
s face had gone red and white by turns. She favored her lover with a venomous glance, then turned back to Queen.

“
I guess I might as well spill it,
”
she said disgustedly,
“
after this halfwit shows a yellow streak. Here
’
s all I know, Inspector
―
and Gawd help you if you tell that little mutt of a manager about it!
”
Queen
’
s eyebrows went up, but he did not interrupt her.
“
I got the pass for Johnny all right,
”
she continued defiantly,
“
because
―
well, Johnny kind of likes blood-and-thunder stuff, and it was his offnight. So I got him the pass. It was for two
―
all the passes are
―
so that the seat next to Johnny was empty all the time. It was an aisle seat on the left
―
best I could get for that loud-mouthed shrimp! During the first act I was pretty busy and couldn
’
t sit with him. But after the first intermission, when the curtain went up on Act II, things got slack and it was a good chance to sit next to him. Sure, I admit it
―
I was sittin
’
next to him nearly the whole act! Why not
―
don
’
t I deserve a rest once in a while?
”

“
I see.
”
Queen bent his brows.
“
You would have saved me a lot of time and trouble, young lady, if you
’
d told me this before. Didn
’
t you get up at all during the second act?
”

“
Well, I did a couple of times, I guess,
”
she said guardedly.
“
But everything was okay, and the manager wasn
’
t around, so I went back.
”

“
Did you notice this man Field as you passed?
”

“
No
―
no, sir.
”

“
Did you notice if anybody was sitting next to him?
”

“
No, sir. I didn
’
t know he was there. Wasn
’
t
―
wasn
’
t looking that way, I guess.
”

“
I suppose, then,
”
continued Queen coldly,
“
you don
’
t remember ushering somebody into the last row, next to the last seat, during the second act?
”

“
No, sir . . . . Aw, I know I shouldn
’
t have done it, maybe, but I didn
’
t see a thing wrong all night.
”
She was growing more nervous at each question. She furtively glanced at the Parson, but he was staring at the floor.

“
You
’
re a great help, young lady,
”
said Queen, rising suddenly.
“
Beat it.
”

As she turned to go, the gangster with an innocent leer slid across the rug to follow her. Queen made a sign to the policeman. The Parson found himself yanked back to his former position.

“
Not so fast, Johnny,
”
said Queen icily.
“
O
’
Connell!
”
The girl turned, trying to appear unconcerned.
“
For the time being I shan
’
t say anything about this to Mr. Panzer. But I
’
d advise you to watch your step and learn to keep your mouth clean when you talk to your superiors. Get on now, and if I ever hear of another break on your part God help
you!
”

She started to laugh, wavered and fled from the room.

Queen whirled on the policeman.
“
Put the nippers on him, officer,
”
he snapped, jerking his finger toward the gangster,
“
and run him down to the station!
”

The policeman saluted. There was a flash of steel, a dull click, and the Parson stared stupidly at the handcuffs on his wrists. Before he could open his mouth he was hustled out of the room.

Queen made a disgusted motion of his hand, threw himself into the leather-covered chair, took a pinch of snuff, and said to Johnson in an entirely different tone,
“
I
’
ll trouble you, Johnson my boy, to ask Mr. Morgan to step in here.
”

Benjamin Morgan entered Queen
’
s temporary sanctum with a firm step that did not succeed entirely in concealing a certain bewildered agitation. He said in a cheerful, hearty baritone,
“
Well, sir, here I am,
”
and sank into a chair with much the same air of satisfaction that a man exhales when he seats himself in his clubroom after a hard day. Queen was not taken in. He favored Morgan with a long, earnest stare, which made the paunchy grizzled man squirm.

“
My name is Queen, Mr. Morgan,
”
he said in a friendly voice,
“
Inspector Richard Queen.
”

“
I suspected as much,
”
said Morgan, rising to shake hands.
“
I think you know who I am, Inspector. I was under your eye more than once in the Criminal Court years ago. There was a case
―
do you remember it?
―
I was defending Mary Doolittle when she was being tried for murder . . . .
”

“
Indeed, yes!
”
exclaimed the Inspector heartily.
“
I wondered where I
’
d seen you before. You got her off, too, if I
’
m not mistaken. That was a mighty nice piece of work, Morgan
―
very, very nice. So
you
’
re
the fellow! Well, well!
”

Morgan laughed.
“
Was pretty nice, at that,
”
he admitted.
“
But those days are over, I
’
m afraid, Inspector. You know
―
I
’
m not in the criminal end of it any more.
”

“
No?
”
Queen took a pinch of snuff.
“
I didn
’
t know that. Anything
”―
he sneezed
―”
anything go wrong?
”
he asked sympathetically.

Morgan was silent. After a moment he crossed his legs and said,
“
Quite a bit went wrong. May I smoke?
”
he asked abruptly. On Queen
’
s assent he lit a fat cigar and became absorbed in its curling haze.