The Lesser Antilles Case: A Lt. Valcour Mystery #7 by Rufus King

Author:Rufus King
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Mystery, crime, detective, murder, classic, sleuth
ISBN: 9781479404926
Publisher: Wildside Press
Published: 2015-04-21T00:00:00+00:00

Scene Fourteen

TAFFRAIL

It shocked Erika deeply to come upon Miss Ash huddled limply in a rattan deck chair by the taffrail, with a rug loosely slipping down from her knees and her negligent velvet dinner dress leaving far too much flesh exposed, for the night was cool even though the yacht had struck well into the Gulf Stream. Miss Ash was weeping.

Erika drew a white fur jacket closer about herself (she had come out on deck to catch a breath of air before cocktails were served in the lounge) and said stupidly, “Well, for goodness’ sake!”

Miss Ash shivered and pulled up the rug. “Don’t bother about me,” she said.

“Certainly I shall. What on earth’s the matter?”

Miss Ash broke out in fresh tears, while Erika went through the vague, futile gestures of not knowing what to do. “Nobody pays the least attention to anything I say,” Miss Ash said, when she could control her voice again. “So what’s the use of talking?”

“That’s nonsense, Lillian. I’m sure we’ve all been pleasant—we’ve tried to be, certainly.”

Miss Ash groped about and caught Erika’s hand. She held it tightly. “Sit down, won’t you?”

Erika sat on the chair’s footrest and wished that Lillian would let go of her hand. “I’ll admit this trip isn’t the happiest of larks.”

“Listen, Erika”—Lillian’s voice and eyes both seemed feverish—“I know who killed Lawrence.”

“Yes, dear—”

“You think something’s happened to my head. I know that your aunt does, and that Lieutenant Valcour thinks so, too. Well, it’s not true. I’m just as sane as any of you. I tell you I know the murderer.”

Possibly it was the hot contact of Miss Ash’s hand, or the sharp squeeze which its fingers gave her, but Erika felt a definite thrill of fear as she said, “Who?”

“You’d be sure I was crazy if I told you, but I can’t be wrong, no matter how fantastic the idea seems—Look here, Erika, you remember that when we left Venezuela I gave a few readings among the officers?”

Erika remembered quite well, and that the officers had been both curious and deeply impressed by them.

“You see,” Miss Ash went on, “that gave me the proper vibration cycle for the third mate, Mr. Klein.”

“Well?”

There was something almost pathetic in the earnestness with which Miss Ash stared at Erika. “I wonder if it’s any use,” she said.

“To be perfectly frank, Lillian, I don’t put much stock in numerology, if that’s what you mean.”

“Yes, it’s just what I mean. Oh, for God’s sake go away. You’re as bad as the rest of them.”

Erika stood up as Miss Ash snatched her hand away. She hesitated a moment, looking down at Lillian’s figure squirming itself irritably into the rug, then she turned and walked rapidly along the shelter side of the deck and entered the lounge. She felt a sense of relief in finding Lieutenant Valcour there with her aunt, and went over to the sofa where they were sitting and said:

“I think something ought to be done about Lillian—I mean she ought to be looked after or something.

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