The Siamese Twin Mystery by Ellery Queen Read Free Book Online Page B

Then she became as still as before. The low voices of Mark Xavier and Ann Forrest at the window ceased abruptly. Dr. Holmes alone seemed unaffected; he was staring rebelliously at the cuff of his linen trousers, his thoughts apparently eons away.
    “Why, yes,” murmured Ellery, alert. “Bumped into the chap during our flight from that private Hades of ours below. He was driving a rather ancient Buick sedan.”
    “But we haven’t—” began Dr. Xavier slowly, and stopped. His sunken eyes narrowed. “That’s rather odd, do you know?”
    The Queens looked at each other. What now?
    “Odd?” said the Inspector mildly. He refused his host’s mechanical offer of a cigar and, taking a worn brown box from his pocket, sniffed a pinch of its contents. “Snuff,” he said apologetically. “Dirty habit. … Odd, Doctor?”
    “Quite. What sort of man was he?”
    “Very stout, from what I saw of him,” said Ellery quickly. “Froggy eyes. Voice like a bassoon. Tremendous breadth of shoulder. About fifty-five, at a rough guess.”
    Mrs. Xavier stirred again.
    “But we’ve had no visitor at all, you know,” said the surgeon quietly.
    The Queens were astonished. “Then he didn’t come from here?” muttered Ellery. “But I thought no one else lives on this mountain!”
    “We’re quite sequestered up here, I assure you. Sarah, my dear, you don’t know of anyone—?”
    Mrs. Xavier licked her full lips. A struggle seemed to be raging within her. There was speculation, bafflement, and subtle cruelty in her black eyes. Then she said in a surprised voice: “No.”
    “That’s funny,” murmured the Inspector. “He was headed lickety-cut down the mountain, and if there’s only one road and this is at the end of it and nobody else lives here …”
    There was a crash from behind. They turned quickly. But it was only Miss Forrest, who had dropped her compact. She straightened up, her cheeks fiery, eyes so strangely bright, and said gaily: “Oh, shoot! The next thing we know we’ll all be babbling of bogies. If you people insist on introducing unpleasant subjects, you know, I’ll be just as unpleasant. What with men prowling about and all, somebody will have to tuck me into bed tonight. You see—”
    “What do you mean, Miss Forrest?” said Dr. Xavier slowly. “Is there anything—?”
    The Queens crossed glances again. These people were not only concealing a common secret, but they possessed little private secrets as well.
    The girl tossed her head. “I wasn’t going to mention it,” she said, shrugging, “because it was really nothing and—and …” It was evident that she already regretted having begun. “Oh, let’s forget all about it and play ducks and drakes, or something.”
    Mark Xavier came forward with short, quick steps. There was a brutal gleam in his sharp eyes and his mouth was hard. “Come on, Miss Forrest,” he said gruffly. “Something’s bothering you and we might as well know what. If there’s a man skulking about the place …”
    “Of course,” said the girl quietly, “that’s what it is. Very well, if you insist; but I apologize in advance. No doubt that’s the explanation. … Last week I—I lost something.”
    It seemed to Ellery that Dr. Xavier, more than any of them, was startled. Then Dr. Holmes rose and went to a small round table, groping for a cigaret.
    “Lost something?” asked Dr. Xavier in a thick voice.
    The room was incredibly quiet; so quiet that Ellery could hear the suddenly labored breathing of their host. “I missed it one morning,” said Miss Forrest in a low voice; “I think it was Friday of last week. I thought I might have mislaid it. I looked and looked all over but I couldn’t find it, you see. Perhaps I did lose it. Yes, I’m sure I lost it.” She stopped in confusion.
    No one spoke for a long time. Then Mrs. Xavier said harshly: “Come, come, child. You know that’s nonsense. You mean someone stole it from you, don’t you?”
    “Oh,