The Finishing Stroke by Ellery Queen Read Free Book Online Page B

know my niece Ellen, I believe,’ Craig said, coming over with the late arrival. ‘This is a friend of John’s, Mr. Gardiner – Ellery Queen, the author. The Reverend Mr. Gardiner.’
    Ellery was surprised at the iron in the old man’s handshake. ‘I hear you’re retired, Mr. Gardiner. Why in heaven’s name would they retire a man with a grip like yours?’
    â€˜I’m afraid heaven didn’t have much to do with it, Mr. Queen,’ the minister said, smiling. ‘It was the Bishop and his gentle reminder that I had passed the compulsory retirement age of seventy-two. Ellen, you’re even more radiant than usual.’
    â€˜My influence, I trust,’ Ellery said. Ellen flushed slightly, but she seemed pleased.
    â€˜In that case,’ Mr. Gardiner said, twinkling, ‘having even a retired clergyman on the premises may come in handy. Mr. Craig, I hope it won’t inconvenience you and your guests, but I should like to attend midnight mass. I believe you have an Episcopal church in Alderwood. If I might borrow a car later tonight –’
    â€˜Nonsense, I’ll have Felton or John drive you over,’ Craig said. ‘The only thing is, the road to the main highway may be impassable in a few hours. I haven’t heard the ploughs go through.’
    â€˜Please don’t put yourselves out, Mr. Craig. If necessary I’ll walk. I noticed it’s only a mile or so. I haven’t missed a Christmas Eve mass in fifty-some years, and I don’t think at my age it would be wise to begin lapsing from grace.’
    â€˜We’ll get you there,’ John said. ‘Attention, everyone!’ Marius Carlo awoke with a start. Ellery noted that the blonde girl perched on his chair-arm had gripped Carlo’s hair hard.
    â€˜Now that Mr. Gardiner’s come, completing our party,’ John beamed, ‘I can announce the third colossal event of January sixth. Mr. Gardiner’s staying through the entire holiday and beyond for more than social reasons. Immediately after midnight of January fifth the Reverend’s going to perform a marriage ceremony. Yep! Rusty and me.’
    In the uproar that followed, Ellery managed to hang back so that he might observe Valentina and Marius. The actress was over-vivacious, her throaty voice shrill with tension, as she embraced Rusty and John. She was so pale Ellery thought she was about to faint. Evidently Marius thought so, too, for he gripped her arm and squeezed hard. Valentina fell back after a moment, shaking the musician’s hand off fiercely. Ellery heard Marius say to her, ‘You’re a lousy actress after all,’ and her hissed, ‘Shut up, damn you!’ Then they both smiled and held their glasses out as Felton, resuming his butler’s role, came around to fill them for a toast.
    Afterwards, Rusty herself demanded of the groom-to-be, ‘But darling, you said four things were going to happen on January sixth. What’s the fourth?’
    â€˜Ah, that’s my big secret,’ John laughed. ‘That’s one nobody knows – and nobody’s going to know until the night. Not even my bride.’
    And no amount of wheedling on Rusty’s part, or of good-natured quizzing by the others – including Arthur Craig, who kept smilingly insisting that he hadn’t the faintest notion what John was referring to – would induce the young poet to reveal his secret.
    It was in the oak-panelled dining room later, with the flames leaping in the fireplace and the party settling about the huge holly-decked oak table, that Ellery said to Ellen, beside whom he had been seated, ‘Here’s an amusing coincidence.’
    â€˜What, Ellery?’
    â€˜December twenty-fifth through the night of January fifth – Christmas through what’s officially known as Twelfth Night – that makes a holiday party of twelve days, Ellen.’
    â€˜What of