Murder for Two by George Harmon Coxe Read Free Book Online

Were they quarreling? Shouting at each other.” He paused, exasperated. “Or maybe they hugged and kissed each other.”
    Helen MacKay’s face was drawn and weary now but she was still beautiful and nothing much had happened to her spunk. Knowing Rosalind Taylor, Casey had a fair idea of what must have happened when Dinah King called, but when he saw Helen’s chin come up he had a hunch she wouldn’t be bullied—and he was right.
    â€œI really couldn’t say,” she replied, and Casey liked her for it.
    Logan drew a breath and gave Manahan a disgusted glance. “All right,” he said finally. “Why did Miss Taylor want you to come back?”
    â€œI’d made a mistake in copying an article and Rosalind was furious. She always was over anything like that; she simply insisted that I re-do it. It wasn’t that she was going to mail it tonight or anything, it was just that she was impatient of anyone’s mistakes, including her own. I think if I had been in New York she would have called me back just the same.”
    â€œYou finished copying before she left?”
    â€œI had the last page in the machine. She stood there with her hat on reading over my shoulder.”
    She went on with the story she had told before. Rosalind had left. Within two or three minutes the first man had come. She wasn’t sure just how long before the second man had joined him but—
    â€œLet’s get back to the first man,” Logan said. “Describe him, please.”
    A frown gathered at Helen MacKay’s forehead and she caught her lower lip in her teeth before she replied.
    â€œI’d say he was about average height—about like Russell—and slender, and dark, I think. At least his skin was swarthy.”
    â€œHe wore dark glasses.”
    â€œLarge ones. And his hat brim was down and he kept his chin in his coat collar when he could.”
    â€œHe knocked you down? Why was that?”
    â€œHe may not have intended to, but—I lost my head. He started to push me toward the office and I jerked away and told him to get out. I guess I must have shouted because he hit me hard with the back of the hand and I fell. I—I must have fainted. There’s a sore spot on my head but there’s no bump so I don’t think I could have been really knocked out.”
    â€œThen if you passed out how could you know how long it was before the second fellow came?”
    â€œBecause when I came to I was flat on my back in the hall—”
    â€œWhy do you think he carried you out there?”
    Helen MacKay’s eyes snapped at that and it was obvious that she suspected Logan of deliberately confusing her. She took her time. She leaned forward and she made her answer elaborately patient.
    â€œI should imagine,” she said, “he took me there because the hall was dark. Apparently he wore dark glasses so I would be unable to identify him, or at least to make identification difficult, and I suppose he thought that putting me where I couldn’t very well watch him or his partner—”
    â€œYes, I see,” Logan said and her elaborate patience brought a slight flush to his face. “And how is it you know how long you were unconscious?”
    Helen MacKay went on in the same studied tone. Casey didn’t blame her, considering what she had been through, but he knew how it was with Logan too. This was murder and it was Logan’s business not only to take nothing for granted, but also to make sure of every single detail.
    â€œI was back in the hall. The bathroom light was on and I had tape on my wrists and mouth and the dark man was about to tie my ankles with a wet towel when the buzzer sounded. I merely thought he should be able to do what he did with the tape fairly quickly.”
    â€œAll right. Then?”
    â€œHe went into the living-room. I thought I heard him open the door and I thought I heard him speak to someone. I