The Roman Hat Mystery (24 page)

“
I can arrange it as you wish, Inspector,
”
replied Ives-Pope,
“
but I imagine Mrs. Ives-Pope will want to be there and I know that Mr. Barry will
―
my future son-in-law,
”
he explained dryly.
“
Perhaps a few of Frances
’
friends
―
theatrical friends. My son Stanford may also grace us with his presence
―
a very busy young man, you know,
”
he added with a suspicion of bitterness.

The three men shifted embarrassedly. Ives-Pope rose with a sigh and Ellery, Queen and Sampson followed suit.
“
That
’
s all, I think, Inspector,
”
said the financier in a lighter tone.
“
Is there anything else I can do?
”

“
Not a thing.
”

“
Then I
’
ll be getting along.
”
Ives-Pope turned to Ellery and Sampson.

“
Of course, Sampson, if you can get away, I
’
d like you to be there. Do you think you can make it?
”
The District Attorney nodded.
“
And Mr. Queen
”―
the big man turned to Ellery
―”
will you come also? I understand that you have been following the investigation very closely at your father
’
s side. We shall be happy to have you.
”

“
I
’
ll be there,
”
said Ellery softly, and Ives-Pope left the office.

“
Well, what do you think, Q?
”
asked Sampson, fidgeting in his swivel chair.

“
A most interesting man,
”
returned the Inspector.
“
How fairminded he is!
”

“
Oh, yes
―
yes,
”
said Sampson.
“
Er
―
Q, he asked me before you came if you wouldn
’
t go easy on the publicity. Sort of special favor, you know.
”

“
He didn
’
t have the nerve to come out with it to me, eh?
”
chuckled the Inspector.
“
He
’
s quite human . . . . Well, Henry, I
’
ll do my best, but if that young woman is implicated seriously, I won
’
t vouch for hands off with the press.
”

“
All right, all right, Q
―
it
’
s up to you,
”
said Sampson irritably.
“
Damn this throat of mine!
”
He took an atomizer from a desk drawer and sprinkled his throat wryly.

“
Didn
’
t Ives-Pope recently donate a hundred thousand dollars to the Chemical Research Foundation?
”
asked Ellery suddenly, turning to Sampson.

“
I seem to remember something of that sort,
”
said Sampson, gargling.
“
Why?
”

Ellery mumbled an inaudible explanation that was lost in Sampson
’
s violent gyrations with the sprayer. Queen, who was regarding his son speculatively, shook his head, consulted his watch and said,
“
Well, son, it
’
s time we knocked off for lunch. What do you say
―
Henry, think you
’
d like to join us in a bite?
”

Sampson grinned with an effort.
“
I
’
m full up to my neck with work, but even a District Attorney has to eat,
”
he said.
“
I
’
ll go on only one condition
―
that I pay the check. I owe you something, anyway.
”

As they donned their coats Queen picked up Sampson
’
s telephone.

“
Mr. Morgan? . . . Oh, hello, Morgan. I say, do you think you can find a little time this afternoon for a chat? . . . Right. Two-thirty will be fine. Good-by.
”

“
That settles that,
”
said the Inspector comfortably.
“
Always pays to be polite, Ellery
―
remember that.
”

At two-thirty promptly the two Queens were ushered into the quiet law office of Benjamin Morgan. It was noticeably different from Field
’
s lavish suite
―
richly furnished but with a more businesslike simplicity. A smiling young woman closed the door after them. Morgan greeted them with some reserve. He held out a box of cigars as they sat down.

“
No thanks
―
my snuff will do,
”
said the Inspector genially, while Ellery after being introduced lit a cigarette and blew smoke rings. Morgan lit a cigar with shaking fingers.

“
I suppose you
’
re here to continue that talk of ours last night, Inspector?
”
said Morgan.

Queen sneezed, replaced his snuffbox, and leaned back in the chair.
“
Look here, Morgan old man,
”
he said evenly.
“
You haven
’
t been quite on the up-and-up with me.
”

“
What do you mean?
”
asked Morgan, coloring.

“
You told me last night,
”
said the Inspector reflectively,
“
you told me last night that you parted amicably with Field two years ago, when you dissolved the firm of Field & Morgan. Did you say that?
”

“
I did,
”
said Morgan.

“
How, then, my dear fellow,
”
asked Queen,
“
do you explain the little incident of the quarrel at the Webster Club? I certainly would not call a threat against another man
’
s life an
‘
amicable
’
way of dissolving a partnership!
”

Morgan sat quietly for several minutes while Queen stared patiently at him and Ellery sighed. Then he looked up and began to speak in a passionate undertone.

“
I
’
m sorry, Inspector,
”
he muttered, glancing away.
“
I might have known that a threat like that would be remembered by somebody . . . . Yes, it
’
s true enough. We had lunch one day in the Webster Club at Field
’
s suggestion. As far as I was concerned, the less I had to do with him socially the better I liked it. But the purpose of the luncheon was to go over some last details of the dissolution, and of course I had no choice . . . . I
’
m afraid I lost my temper. I did make a threat against his life, but it was
―
well, it was said in the heat of an angry moment. I forgot the whole thing before the week was over.
”

The Inspector nodded sagely.
“
Yes, things do happen like that sometimes. But
”―
and Morgan licked his lips in despairing anticipation
―”
a man doesn
’
t threaten another man
’
s life, even if he doesn
’
t mean it, merely over a matter of business detail.
”
He leveled his finger at Morgan
’
s shrinking body.
“
Come on now, man
―
out with it. What are you holding back?
”

Morgan
’
s entire body had gone flaccid. His lips were ashy as he turned from one Queen to the other, mute appeal in his eyes. But their glances were inexorable and Ellery, who was regarding him much as a vivisec-tionist regards a guinea pig, interrupted.

“
My dear Morgan,
”
he said coldly,
“
Field had something on you, and he thought that that was a good time to tell you about it. It
’
s as obvious as the red in your eye.
”

“
You
’
ve guessed it in part, Mr. Queen. I
’
ve been one of the most unfortunate men God ever created. That devil Field
―
whoever killed him deserves to be decorated for his service to humanity. He was an octopus
―
a soulless beast in human form. I can
’
t tell you how happy
―
yes, happy!
―
I am that he is dead!
”

“
Softly there, Morgan,
”
said Queen.
“
Although I gather our mutual friend was a good deal of a skunk, your remarks might be overheard by a less sympathetic audience. And
―
?
”

“
Here
’
s the whole story,
”
mumbled Morgan, his eyes fixed on the desk blotter.
“
It
’
s a hard one to tell . . . . When I was a kid at college I got into some trouble with a girl
―
a waitress in the college restaurant. She was not bad
―
just weak, and I suppose I was wild in those days. At any rate she had a child
―
my child . . . . I suppose you know that I come from a straitlaced family. If you don
’
t, you would find out soon enough on investigation. They had great plans for me, they were socially ambitious
―
to cut it short, I couldn
’
t very well marry the girl and bring her to father
’
s house as my wife. It was a caddish thing to do . . . .
”

He paused.

“
But it was done, and that
’
s all that matters. I
’
ve
―
I
’
ve always loved her. She was sensible enough about the arrangements . . . . I managed to provide for her out of my generous allowance. No one
―
I
’
ll swear not a soul in this world with the exception of her widowed mother, a fine old lady
―
knew about the affair. I
’
ll swear to that, I say. And yet
―”
His fist clenched, but he resumed with a sigh.
“
Eventually, I married the girl whom my family had selected for me.
”
There was a painful silence as he stopped to clear his throat.
“
It was a
mariage de convenance
―
just that and nothing else. She came from an old aristocratic family, and I had the money. We have lived fairly happily together . . . . And then I met Field. I curse the day I ever consented to go into partnership with him
―
but my own business was not exactly all it might have been and Field, if nothing else, was an aggressive and clever lawyer.
”

The Inspector took a pinch of snuff.

“
Everything went smoothly at first,
”
continued Morgan in the same low tone.
“
But by degrees I began to suspect that my partner was not everything he should have been. Queer clients
―
queer clients indeed
―
would enter his private office after hours; he would evade my questions about them; things began to look peculiar. Finally I decided my own reputation would suffer if I continued to be linked with the man, and I broached the subject of dissolution. Field objected strenuously, but I was stubborn and after all he could not dominate my desires. We dissolved.
”