The Devil's Stronghold by Leslie Ford

Author:Leslie Ford
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: OCR-Finished, Crime
ISBN: 9784445602197
Publisher: Scribners
Published: 1947-12-31T23:00:00+00:00

Chapter Fourteen: Kiss of death

EUSTACE PULLED A PAINTED IVORY FAN from one of his embroidered sleeves and moved it indolently in front of his face once or twice.

“You see what I mean, dear Grace. Emotions are a luxury that the poor can’t afford to have. Rose is a sensible and ambitious woman. She wants the best for her daughter. I think it’s all very commendable, don’t you, dear?”

“I think it would be better if I didn’t say what I think, Eustace.”

I had to get up. I knew my knee joints were going to creak and make my exit seem a little absurd. But I had to chance it, and my pent-up fury must have secreted some annealing fluid, because I managed without indignity.

“And I think I’ll go now. Goodbye.”

“If you’ll wait I’ll call a taxi. I shall need my own car.”

“I’d rather walk, I think.”

Eustace Sype got very slowly to his feet. How he did it I didn’t see, and as it was the one opportunity I was likely to have, it was a distinct loss if I’d ever had any interest in the operation of large but still movable bodies. I was only interested in getting out of that malevolent house.

“Of course you understand, Grace,” Eustace said. “I’m sure you understand, dear. If I were in the least alarmed at your possible interest, we would have played the scene somewhere else. I allowed you to see it merely to impress you with the fact that your interference would be both untimely and dangerous. I have no doubt Lucille told you that Rose was dear Viola’s maid, and Morris her chef, when Viola was married to poor old Georgie Gannon. Viola has a genuinely sweet and forgiving spirit. She wouldn’t think of making trouble for either of the dear souls.”

His hands fluttered.

“I was so happy when I discovered that their child would be able to make the recompense for them. Viola has been most patient.”

He waddled after me to the front steps.

“I dare say there are some people who would regard it as most unfortunate that dear Viola didn’t go down the stone steps before that wretched young woman got so foolishly muddled about the way out of the hotel, last night. I hope no one suggests to the police the absurd idea that there was anyone on the premises to whom dear Viola’s death would be a real benediction. It would be most unkind. It would be such bad publicity for dear little Molly. We’ve outgrown that sort of thing, these days. In these days scandal is Hollywood’s kiss of death.”

“If I hear that again, or read it again, Eustace, I’m going to begin not to believe it,” I said. “There’s a line you’d probably call corn—The lady doth protest too much…”

“It’s box office, darling. We have to be realistic about a lot of things.”

Tottering down the narrow, winding cement road on high heels, long, shining cars streaking silently around the curves blinded with high hedges and high walls,

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