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〃And who are you；if I may enquire？〃
〃I just came about the car payment；〃 I said。 〃The door was open just a teensy weensy bit and I kind of shoved in。 I don't know why。〃 ' I made a face like a man from the finance pany ing about the car payment。 Kind of tough； but ready to break into a sunny smile。
〃You mean Mr。 Lavery is behind in his car payments？〃 she asked； looking worried。
〃A little。 Not a great deal；〃 I said soothingly。
I was all set now。 I had the reach and I ought to have the speed。 All it needed was a clean sharp sweep inside the gun and outward。 I started to take my foot out of the rug。
〃You know；〃 she said； 〃it's funny about this gun。 I found it on the stairs。 Nasty oily things； aren't they？ And the stair carpet is a very nice gray chenille。 Quite expensive。〃 And she handed me the gun。
My hand went out for it； as stiff as an eggshell； almost as brittle。 I took the gun。 She sniffed with distaste at the glove which had been wrapped around the butt。 She went on talking in exactly the same tone of cockeyed reasonableness。 My knees cracked； relaxing。
〃Well； of course it's much easier for you；〃 she said。 〃About the car； I mean。 You can just take it away； if you have to。 But taking a house with nice furniture in it isn't so easy。 It takes time and money to evict a tenant。 There is apt to be bitterness and things get damaged； sometimes on purpose。 The rug on this floor cost over two hundred dollars； second hand。 It's only a jute rug； but it has a lovely coloring； don't you think？ You'd never know it was only jute； secondhand。 But that's silly too because they're always secondhand after you've used them。 And I walked over here too； to save my tires for the government。 I could have taken a bus part way； but the darn things never e along except going in the wrong direction。〃 I hardly heard what she said。 It was like surf breaking beyond a point； out of sight。 The gun had my interest。
I broke the magazine out。 It was empty。 I turned the gun and looked into the breech。 That was empty too。 I sniffed the muzzle。 It reeked。
I dropped the gun into my pocket。 A six…shot 。25 caliber automatic。 Emptied out。 Shot empty； and not too long ago。 But not in the last half hour either。
〃Has it been fired？〃 Mrs。 Fallbrook enquired pleasantly。 〃I certainly hope not。〃
〃Any reason why it should have been fired？〃 I asked her。 The voice was steady； but the brain was still bouncing。
〃Well； it was lying on the stairs；〃 she said。 〃After all； people do fire them。〃
〃How true that is；〃 I said。 〃But Mr。 Lavery probably had a hole in his pocket。 He isn't home； is he？〃
〃Oh no。〃 She shook her head and looked disappointed。 〃And I don't think it's very nice of him。 He promised me the check and I walked over〃
〃When was it you phoned him？〃 I asked。
〃Why； yesterday evening。〃 She frowned； not liking so many questions。
〃He must have been called away；〃 I said。
She stared at a spot between my big brown eyes。
〃Look； Mrs。 Fallbrook；〃 I said。 〃Let's not kid around any longer； Mrs。 Fallbrook。 Not that I don't love it。 And not that I like to say this。 But you didn't shoot him； did you…on account of he owed you three months' rent？〃 She sat down very slowly on the edge of a chair and worked the tip of her tongue along the scarlet slash of her mouth。
〃Why； what a 'perfectly horrid suggestion；〃 she said angrily。 〃I don't think you are nice at all。 Didn't you say the gun had not been fired？〃
〃All guns have been fired sometime。 All guns have been loaded sometime。 This one is not loaded now。〃
〃Well； then〃 she made an impatient gesture and sniffed at her oily glove。
〃Okay； my idea was wrong。 Just a gag anyway。 Mr。 Lavery was out and you went through the house。 Being the owner； you have a key。 Is that correct？〃
〃I didn't mean to be interfering；〃 she said； biting a finger。 〃Perhaps I ought not to have done it。 But I have a right to see how things are kept。〃
〃Well； you looked。 And you're sure he's not here？〃
〃I didn't look under the beds or in the icebox；〃 she said coldly。 〃I called out from the top of the stairs when he didn't answer my ring。 Then I went down to the lower hall and called out again。 I even peeped into the bedroom。〃 She lowered her eyes as if bashfully and twisted a hand on her knee。
〃Well； that's that；〃 I said。
She nodded brightly。 〃Yes； that's that。' And what did you say your name was？〃
〃Vance；〃 I said。 〃Philo Vance。〃
〃And what pany are you employed with； Mr。 Vance？〃
〃I'm out of work right now；〃 I said。 〃Until the police missioner gets into a jam again。〃 She looked startled。 〃But you said you came about a car payment。〃
〃That's just part…time work；〃 I said。 〃A fill…in job。〃 She rose to her feet and looked at me steadily。 Her voice was cold saying： 〃Then in that case I think you had better leave now。〃 I said： 〃I thought I might take a look around first； if you don't mind。 There might be something you missed。〃
〃I don't think that is necessary；〃 she said。 〃This is my house。 I'll thank you to leave now； Mr。 Vance。〃 I said： 〃And if I don't leave； you'll get somebody who will。 Take a chair again； Mrs。 Falibrook。 I'll just glance through。 This gun； you know； is kind of queer。〃
〃But I told you I found it lying on the stairs；〃 she said angrily。 〃I don't know anything else about it。 I don't know anything about guns at all。 I…I never shot one in my life。〃 She opened a large blue bag and pulled a handkerchief out of it and sniffled。
〃That's your story；〃 I said。 〃I don't have to get stuck with it。〃 She put her left hand out to me with a pathetic gesture； like the erring wife in _East Lynne_。
〃Oh； I shouldn't have e ins〃 she cried。 〃It was horrid of me。 I know it was。 Mr。 Lavery will be furious。〃
〃What you shouldn't have done；〃 I said； 〃was let me find out the gun was empty。 Up to then you were holding everything in the deck。〃 She stamped her foot。 That was all the scene lacked。 That made it perfect。
〃Why； you perfectly loathsome man；〃 she squawked。 〃Don't you dare touch me！ Don't you take a single step towards me！ I won't stay in this house another minute with you。 How dare you be so insulting〃 She caught her voice and snapped it in mid…air like a rubber band。 Then she put her head down； purple hat and all； and ran for the door。 As she passed me she put a hand out as if to stiff arm me； but she wasn't near enough and I didn't move。 She jerked the door wide and charged〃out through it and up the walk to the street。 The door came slowly shut and I heard her rapid steps above the sound of its closing。
I ran a fingernail along my teeth and punched the point of my jaw with a knuckle； listening。 I didn't hear anything anywhere to listen to。 A six…shot automatic； fired empty。
〃Something；〃 I said out loud； 〃is all wrong with this scene。〃 The house seemed now to be abnormally still。 I went along the apricot rug and through the archway to the head of the stairs。 I stood there for another moment and listened again。
I shrugged and went quietly down the stairs。
16
The lower hall had a door at each end and two in the middle side by side。 One of these was a linen closet and the other was locked。 I went along to the end and looked in at a spare bedroom with drawn blinds and ；no sign of being used。 I went back to the other end of the hail and stepped into a second bedroom with a wide bed； a caféau…lait rug； angular furniture in light wood； a box mirror over the dressing table and a long fluorescent lamp over the mirror。 In the corner a crystal greyhound stood on a mirror…top table and beside him a crystal box with cigarettes in it。
Face powder was spilled around on the dressing table。 There was a smear of dark lipstick on a towel hanging over the waste basket。 On the bed were pillows side by side； with depressions in them that could have been made by heads。 A woman's handkerchief peeped from under one pillow。 A pair of sheer black pajamas lay across the foot of the bed。 A rather too emphatic trace of chypre hung in the air。
I wondered what Mrs。 Falibrook had thought of all this。
I turned around and looked at myself in the long mirror of a closet door。 The door was painted white and had a crystal knob。 I turned the knob in my handkerchief and looked inside。 The cedar…lined closet was fairly full of man's clothes。 'There was a nice friendly' smell of tweed。 The closet was not entirely full of man's clothes。
There was also a woman's black and white tailored suit； mostly white； black and white shoes under it； a panama with a black and white rolled band on a shelf above it。 There were other woman's clothes； but I didn't examine them。
I shut the closet door and went out of the bedroom； holding my handkerchief ready for more doorknobs。
The door next to the linen closet； the locked door； had to be the bathroom。 I shook it； but it went on being locked。 I bent down and saw there was a short； slit…shaped opening in the middle of the knob。 I knew then that the door was fastened by pushing a button in the middle of the knob inside； and that the slit…like opening was for a metal key without wards that would spring the lock open in case somebody fainted in the bathroom； or the kids locked themselves in and got sassy。
The key for this ought to be kept on the top shelf of the linen closet； but it wasn't。 I tried my knife blade； but that was too thin。 I went back to the bedroom and got a flat nail file off the dresser。 That worked。 I opened the bathroom door。
A man's sand…colored pajamas were tossed over a painted hamper。 A pair of heelless green slippers lay on the floor。 There was a safety razor on the edge of the washbowl and a tube of cream with the cap off。 The bathroom window was shut； and there was a pungent smell in the air that was not quite like any other smell。
Three empty shells lay bright and coppery on the nile green tiles of the bathroom floor； and there was a nice clean hole in the frosted pane of the window。 To the left and a little above the window were two scarred places in the plaster where the white showed behind the paint and where something； such as a bullet； had gone in。
The shower curtain was green and white oiled silk and it hung on shiny chromium rings and it was drawn across the shower opening。 I slid it aside； the rings making a thin scraping noise； which for some reason sounded indecently loud。
I felt my neck creak a little as I bent down。 He was there all right…there wasn't anywhere else for him to be。 He was huddled in the corner under the two shining faucets； and water dripped slowly on his chest； from the chromium showerhead。
His knees were drawn up but slack。 The two holes in his naked chest were dark blue and both of them were close enough to his heart to have killed him。 The blood seemed to have been washed away。
His eyes had a curiously bright and expectant look； as if he smelled the morning coffee and would be ing right out。
Nice efficient work。 You have just finished shaving and stripped for the shower and you are leaning in against the shower curtain and adjusting the temperature of the water。 The door opens behind you and somebody es in。 The somebody appears to have been a woman。 She has a gun。 You look at the gun and she shoots it。
She misses with three shots。 It seems impossible； at such short range； but there it is。 Maybe it happens all the time。 I've been around so little。
You haven't anywhere to go。 You could lunge at her and take a chance； if you were that kind of fellow； and if' you were braced for it。 But leaning in over the shower faucets； holding the curtain closed； you are off balance。 Also you are apt to be somewhat petrified with panic； if you are at all like other people。 So there isn't anywhere to go； except into the shower。
That is where you go。 You go into it as far as you can； but a shower stall is a small place and the tiled wall stops you。 You are backed up against the last wall there is now。 You are all out of space； and you are all out of living。 And then there are two more shots； possibly three； and you slide down the wall； and your eyes are not even frightened any more now。 They are just the empty eyes of the dead。
She reaches in and turns the shower of