Tightrope by Amanda Quick

Author:Amanda Quick
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
Published: 2019-05-06T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 27

Brandon was waiting for them outside the cabin, a cigarette hanging from the edge of his mouth. He frowned when he saw Amalie.

“Miss Vaughn? What are you doing here?”

“One of my guests was murdered recently and someone broke into my inn,” she said. “Under the circumstances, I’ve got a right to know what is going on.”

“No,” Brandon said, “you don’t.”

“It’s all right,” Matthias said. “She’s with me.”

“Don’t worry, I won’t go inside,” she promised.

It would have taken a great deal to make her enter the cabin, she thought. She had insisted on accompanying Matthias, but now that she was here she was having second thoughts. The miasma of death wafting through the doorway rattled her nerves. From where she stood she could see the body on the floor. No, she was close enough.

Brandon shrugged and looked at Matthias. “This makes two murders linked to Luther Pell’s business concerns. Got any theories yet?”

“I’m working on one.” Matthias angled his chin toward the battered Ford. “Hubbard’s car, I assume?”

“As far as we can tell,” Brandon said. “Before you ask, yes, we checked. Nothing in the trunk.”

“He took the train to Burning Cove,” Matthias said. “Where did he get the car?”

“Got no idea. No report of a stolen vehicle in town, though. I can tell you that much.”

“Whoever set him up must have provided the getaway car,” Matthias said. “I need to take a look around inside the cabin.”

Brandon shoved his fedora back on his head. “Help yourself.”

Matthias moved into the cabin and stopped just inside the doorway. “I don’t suppose you found a suitcase?”

“No,” Brandon said. “The only thing interesting in there is the body.”

Matthias moved into the room. He did not stay inside very long. When he reappeared, there was a thoughtful expression in his eyes.

“It’s not just the suitcase that has gone missing,” he said. “There’s no sign of the trunk.”

“What trunk?” Amalie asked.

“According to the manager of the Palace, Charlie Hubbard arrived from the train station with the crate that contained the robot and a theatrical trunk.” Matthias glanced back through the partially open door. “I’m sure I know why the suitcase is gone, but why is the trunk important?”

“Damned if I know,” Brandon said. “Have you seen enough?”

“Yes.” Matthias took Amalie’s arm and steered her toward the Packard. “Thanks for letting me know about Hubbard.”

“Sure.” Brandon grunted. “Any friend of Luther Pell’s and all that.”

Amalie did not speak until she and Matthias were in the convertible and headed back toward the inn.

“You think the Ares machine was inside the suitcase?” she asked.

“Yes. It makes sense. That suitcase we saw onstage during the robot demonstration was about the right size to hold a machine shaped like a typewriter.”

“Why are you interested in that missing theater trunk?”

“When Chester Ward took the back plate off the robot, the inside was crammed with wires and gears and motors. There is no way a man could have hidden inside. In addition, I agree with Chester’s opinion of the engineering that went into Futuro.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.