The Player on the Other Side by Ellery Queen Read Free Book Online Page A

right.’ Then, as if what she had said sounded like an objection, she nodded to Archer. ‘Quite all right, Mr. Archer.’
    Archer (charmingly, to judge by Ann Drew’s face) blushed and delivered a little grateful bow.
    â€˜For someone who knows nothing about this sort of thing, my dear Emily,’ said Robert York rather dryly, ‘you understand very well.’ He coughed, this time once. ‘So much for that. Now, there is one other matter —’
    â€˜You didn’t show it to Myra,’ Percival said nastily.
    â€˜Yes? Yes?’ Myra York looked to right, left, above, below, quickly, alertly. All quite meaningless.
    â€˜I thought,’ snapped Emily to the family skeleton, ‘you were in a hurry to finish this!’
    â€˜Not at all, Cuddles,’ grinned Percival. ‘It’s just that I didn’t want to come. But now that we’re here, let’s do it right, shall we?’
    â€˜It’s all right, Myra,’ Robert York said hastily. ‘Just a legal thing. You may see it if you’d like.’
    Myra looked intelligent. ‘If it’s all right,’ she said brightly, ‘then it’s all right.’
    Robert York glared at his cousin Percival. ‘Leaving that, then, I shall bring up one other matter before proceeding with our ordinary business.’ From behind his display handkerchief he pulled a monarch-sized envelope, the cheap flat-finished kind obtainable everywhere. From it he took a five-sided card. ‘Which one of you is responsible for this nonsense?’
    There was a moment of puzzled silence. Then Emily demanded curiously, ‘What on earth is it?’
    Severe-lipped, Robert York handed her the card.
    â€˜J,’ said Emily, ‘hmm,’ and turned it over twice.
    Robert extended his hand for it, but Percival had it first. ‘Hmm!’ said Percival through flared nostrils.
    Myra, her woolly attention caught by the traveling scrap of cardboard, asked, ‘What is it?’ worriedly. Ann Drew leaned over and took it from Percival and handed it to her.
    â€˜What is it?’ Myra said, exactly as before.
    â€˜Nothing dear, nothing really,’ said Ann.
    â€˜I disagree, Miss Drew,’ said Robert York. ‘Indeed, I must once more ask — demand!: Which of you is responsible for this?’
    â€˜Not me,’ said Percival, so instantly that Robert turned on him a stare of profound suspicion.
    â€˜Heavens, Robert,’ Emily said. ‘It’s just somebody’s idea of a joke.’
    â€˜I fail to see anything humorous in it,’ said Robert. ‘Can you, Archer?’
    Archer started from his hungry appraisal of Ann Drew. ‘Well, sir, in line with your bisect theory, it might be some kind of advertising teaser was what I thought.’
    Robert snorted. ‘Did any of you get one of these foul things?’ There was a general denial. ‘Then why should I be the only one to get one?’
    â€˜You did mention the bisect thing, Mr. York,’ Archer murmured.
    â€˜Well, I’ve changed my mind, Archer,’ said Robert testily. ‘Anyway, it would hardly interest my cousins.’
    â€˜If it would explain your childish concern about this, Robert,’ said Emily brusquely, ‘ I’d like to hear it.’
    There was at that moment a thump on the door in the north wall, opposite the hall entrance. Myra York shot to her feet, Ann Drew rising with her. ‘Someone’s in there!’ quavered Myra.
    Archer strode to the door and snatched it open, while Ann shushed and ‘There, dear!’-ed, patted and stroked her.
    Walt stood revealed. He did not recoil as the door was flung aside. His round eyes seemed as encompassing as an owl’s, and his small full moist mouth was not pursed and did not tremble. He looked about the roomful of faces — angry, startled, puzzled, frightened faces — and when he came to Ann Drew he said dully,