1BlackmailArthurHailey○1Thechiefhouseofficer,Ogilvie,whohaddeclaredhewouldappearattheCroydonssuiteanhourafterhiscryptictelephonecallactuallytooktwicethattime.AsaresultthenervesofboththeDukeandDuchesswereexcessivelyfrayedwhenthemutedbuzzeroftheouterdooreventuallysounded.○2TheDuchesswenttothedoorherself.Earliershehaddispatchedhermaidonaninventederrandand,cruelly,instructedthemoon-facedmalesecretary–whowasterrifiedofdogs–toexercisetheBedlingtonterriers.Herowntensionwasnotlessenedbytheknowledgethatbothmightreturnatanymoment.○3AwaveofcigarsmokeaccompaniedOgilviein.Whenhehadfollowedhertothelivingroom,theDuchesslookedpointedlyatthehalf-burnedcigarinthefatman’smouth.“MyhusbandandIfindstrongsmokeoffensive.Wouldyoukindlyputthatout."○4Thehousedetective'spiggyeyessurveyedhersardonicallyfromhisgrossjowledface.Hisgazemovedontosweepthespacious,well-appointedroom,encompassingtheDukewhofacedthemuncertainly,hisbacktoawindow.○5"Prettyneatset-upyoufolksgot.”Takinghistime,Ogilvieremovedtheoffendingcigar,knockedofftheashandflippedthebutttowardanornamentalfireplaceonhisright.Hemissed,andthebuttfelluponthecarpetwhereheignoredit.○6TheDuchess'slipstightened.Shesaidsharply,imagineyoudidnotcomeheretodiscussdécor".○7Theobesebodyshookinanappreciativechuckle."No,ma'am,can'tsayIdid.Ilikenicethings,though."Heloweredthelevelofhisincongruousfalsettovoice."Likethatcarofyours.Theoneyoukeephereinthehotel.Jaguar,ain'tit?"2○8"Aah!"Itwasnotaspokenword,butanemissionofbreathfromtheDukeofCroydon.Hiswifeshothimaswift,warningglance.○9"Inwhatconceivablewaydoesourcarconcernyou?”○10AsifthequestionfromtheDuchesshadbeenasignal,thehousedetective'smannerchanged.Heinquiredabruptly,"Whoelseisinthisplace?"○11ItwastheDukewhoanswered,"Noone.Wesentthemout."○12"There'sthingsitpaystocheck."Movingwithsurprisingspeed,thefatmanwalkedaroundthesuite,openingdoorsandinspectingthespacebehindthem.Obviouslyheknewtheroomarrangementwell.Afterreopeningandclosingtheouterdoor,hereturned,apparentlysatisfied,tothelivingroom.○13TheDuchesshadseatedherselfinastraight-backedOgilvieremainedstanding.○14"Nowthen,"hesaid."Youtwowasinthehit-'n-run."○15Shemethiseyesdirectly."Whatareyoutalkingabout?"○16"Don'tplaygames,lady.Thisisforreal."Hetookoutafreshcigarandbitofftheend,"Yousawthepapers.There'sbeenplentyonradio,too."○17TwohighpointsofcolorappearedinthepalenessoftheDuchessofCroydon'scheeks."Whatyouaresuggestingisthemostdisgusting,ridiculous..."○18"Itoldyou–Cutitout!”Thewordsspatforthwithsuddensavagery,allpretenseofblandnessgone.IgnoringtheDuke,Ogilviewavedtheunlightedcigarunderhisadversary'sadversary'snose."Youlistentome,yourhigh-an'-mightiness.Thiscity'sburnin'mad–cops,mayor,everybodyelse.Whentheyfindwhodonethatlastnight,whokilledthatkidan'itsmother,thenhigh-tailedit,they'llthrowthebook,andnevermindwhoithits,orwhethertheygotfancytitlesneither.NowIknowwhatIknow,andifIdowhatbyrightsIshould,there'llbeasquadofcopsinheresofastyou'llhardlysee'em.ButIcometoyoufirst,infairness,so'syoucouldtellyoursideofittome."Thepiggyeyesblinked,thenhardened."'fyouwantittheotherway,just3sayso."○19TheDuchessofCroydon–threecenturiesandahalfofinbredarrogancebehindher–didnotyieldeasily.Springingtoherfeet,herfacewrathful,gray-greeneyesblazing,shefacedthegrossnessofthehousedetectivesquarely.Hertonewouldhavewitheredanyonewhoknewherwell.“Youunspeakablebl...
