The Budapest Parade Murders by Van Wyck Mason

Author:Van Wyck Mason [Mason, F. Van Wyck]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: mystery
Publisher: Wildside Press LLC
Published: 2018-02-15T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER XIV

Trapped

It would require a great deal of finesse, persuasion, and guile, North foresaw, to maneuver certain of his intended guests into attending a supper which, on the face of it, sounded suspiciously made to order. Nelson Crowell, for instance, would undoubtedly wonder at such a last-minute invitation. Aside from that, the Big Ballyhoo must, during these critical hours, have dozens of serious matters demanding his attention. The man from G-2 was furiously considering ways and means when the front door of the Residence closed gently behind him and he found himself standing once more in a blaze of glorious autumn sunshine.

Time being precious, he hurried across the street to a stand where a large red taxi was parked with its leather-coated driver comfortably asleep behind its wheel. He roused the dreamer, a rabbity little man with many gold teeth and a stupid smile, by calling out, “Zum Hungaria!”

When the cab had begun to move off, Captain North once more returned to his plotting. Several kinds of bait he’d have to offer to attract such widely varying types and personalities as Von Oldenau, Diana de Launay, and George Bradley. That Mr. Edmonds might have trouble in persuading the Rapps, North clearly foresaw; it stood to reason the Belgian must be snowed under with work at the peace league—but perhaps his own projected luncheon with the enigmatic Zita would help matters.

Briefly, he was puzzled by Rogers’ reactions when the Minister had practically ordered him to attend the Hurley supper party. What had been troubling the gay young dilettante? Probably nothing more than the necessity of canceling a rendezvous with some charmer. Um. Very likely that would explain Rogers’ last remark.

The cab, which proved to be new and powerful, swung to the left and started off along a wide avenue lined with chestnut trees, whose yellow-brown leaves were scaling across the avenue under the force of a chill October wind. It was a quiet residential street, and only a few children attended by their nurses were to be seen.

Moodily, North pulled out his case, and lighting a cigarette, turned a window lever to create a draught. When the handle yielded uselessly, he bent forward and tried the door window.

A sudden pang of alarm set his finger tips to tingling when he discovered that not only did this window refuse to budge, but that the door handle also spun futilely in his grip. Cigarette in mouth, he took a grip on his shattered equanimity and settled back as if he had not discovered himself to be very neatly trapped. The chauffeur, however, must have witnessed the attempt in his rear-view mirror for all at once he put on a furious burst of speed. Cursing his own negligence, North snatched out the .32.

“Stop!” he roared in German and emphasized the demand by leveling his automatic at the back of the chauffeur’s shaven skull.

The would-be abductor, however, only shrank lower into his leather jacket and sent the taxi swaying along a nearly deserted avenue which evidently led to the suburbs.

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