The King is Dead by Ellery Queen

Author:Ellery Queen
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub, pdf
Published: 2012-01-15T12:11:26+00:00

* * *

Ellery spent the rest of the day trying to save Judah Bendigo’s soul.

But Judah was doomed. He did not resist salvation; he shrugged it down.

He was looking more like a corpse than ever—a corpse who had died of violence, for his cheekbone was bruised, swollen, and purple from its encounter with the dining room wall, and a split lip gave his mouth a sneering grin such as Ellery frequently saw at the morgue.

“I’m not enjoying this, Ellery, really I’m not. I don’t care for the idea of killing my brother any more than you do. But someone has to do the dirty job, and I’m tired of waiting for the Almighty.”

“Once you shed his blood, how do you differ from King, Judah?”

“I’m an executioner. Executioners are among the most respectable of public servants.”

“Executioners do their work by sanction of law. Self-appointed executioners are simply murderers.”

“Law? On Bendigo Island?” Judah permitted his ragged mustache to lift. “Oh, I admit the circumstances are unusual. But that’s just the point.

There are no sanctions I can evoke here except the decent opinions of mankind, as expressed in a handful of historic documents. The conscience of civilization has appointed me.”

At another time—toward dusk—Judah interrupted Ellery to say, simply, “You’re wasting your breath. My mind is made up.” It was at this point that it occurred to Ellery that Judah Bendigo was talking like a man who expects to consummate his crime.

“Let me understand you, Judah. Granted the firmness of your resolve, hasn’t it sunk home that you’ve been detected in advance? You don’t think we’re sitting by and letting you execute your plan, whatever it is? Max’l alone in this room with you would be enough to thwart whatever you have in mind. There’s going to be no murder, Judah.” By this time Ellery was talking as if Judah were a child. “We simply can’t allow it, you know.” Judah sipped some cognac and smiled. “There’s nothing you can do to stop me.”

“Oh, come. I’ll admit that a man bent on violence may sooner or later find an opening, no matter what precautions are taken. But we know the exact time and place—”

Judah waved a thin white hand. “It doesn’t matter.”

“What doesn’t matter?”

“That you know the time and place. If I cared whether you knew or not, I’d never have written the note.”

“You’ll do it in spite of the fact that we’re forewarned?”

“Oh, yes.”

“At that time? In that place?” exclaimed Ellery.

“Midnight tonight. The Confidential Room.”

Ellery looked at him. “So that’s it. You have another plan entirely.

This was all a red herring to foul up the trail.” Judah seemed offended. “Nothing of the sort! I give you my word.

That would spoil it. Don’t you see that?”

“No.”

Judah shrugged and tipped his bottle again.

“Of course, none of this is really necessary,” Ellery said, “since you have my personal assurance you won’t leave this room tonight and your brother King won’t enter it. So I can afford to play games, Judah. Tell me this: You announced the

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