The Waikiki Widow by Juanita Sheridan

Author:Juanita Sheridan [Sheridan, Juanita]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2021-03-06T23:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER ELEVEN

FOUR DAYS LATER I went to Tom Brittain’s office again. What sent me there was a cablegram which said:

FOLLOWING YOUR INSTRUCTIONS INVESTED TWENTY BUCKS FOR COPY OF THIS MESSAGE QUOTE DRAGON WELL SHIPPED AIR FREIGHT PAN AMERICAN DUE ARRIVE LA GUARDIA WEDNESDAY THREE PM SPECIAL DELIVERY SAME DAY BY WORLDWIDE TRUCKING AM INVESTIGATING FURTHER HERE SIGNED HENRY HUNTER UNQUOTE DON’T FORGET YOU OWE ME TWENTY BUCKS AND EXCLUSIVE ON THIS STORY ALOHA STEVE

Bill Char had arranged for the shipment to be watched from the time it left La Guardia until it reached Tom Brittain. When he called to say the tea was being delivered, I started promptly. Lily was scheduled to appear soon after my arrival.

I got off the elevator at the sixth floor carrying Ukers, went briskly down the hall to the door marked “Paradise Teas, Ltd.,” opened it and walked in with a breezy, “Hello there. Hope I’m not disturbing you. I just want to exchange this for Volume II.”

Tom looked up with a start. He had been reading a letter. The airmail envelope it came in bore a special-delivery stamp. His resentment of my intrusion was so obvious that I turned away to avoid recognizing it.

“Oh!” I exclaimed. “Those are tea chests, aren’t they?”

He half rose with effort to be polite. “Yes. A special shipment:” He sat down again and looked at the letter in his hand.

The chests were stacked along the wall. Their matting sides were painted with Chinese characters and I traced one with a finger and babbled, “Just think! This was written in the godown of some Oriental merchant thousands of miles from here!”

So far as I could see none of the chests had been opened.

I persisted. “Do you know what those markings mean?”

“It’s the chop, the house name of the exporter.” He frowned as I plopped onto the sofa.

“Is this for a local customer?”

“Yes. It will be delivered tomorrow.” He gave me a brief smile. “And now, my dear Janice, I’m going to chase you out. I have work to do.”

“I’ll dash in just a minute. But first, please tell me—”

“Sorry, but I haven’t time now.” He looked at his watch. “For this order no usual procedures apply, but if you want to know about it I’ll tell you later. How about dinner? I’ll be through here around eight and—”

The door opened and Lily walked in.

She wore a sable coat and a close-fitting hat of the same dark, soft fur. She had pushed the fringe back and her cameo face wore no makeup other than a light dusting of powder and the scarlet of her mouth. Diamonds glittered at her ears and on the wrist from which she slipped a black suede glove.

Tom rose with a jerk which sent the chair against the window. When Lily smiled, the room looked more shabby. “How do you do,” she said in a fluting voice. “Are you Mr. Brittain?”

I sat quiet on the sofa.

“Yes,” Tom said, staring. “Is there something I can do for you?” He pulled a chair into place for her and she sat down and loosened her coat.

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