“You may. But I would prefer you leave this matter to me.”
“Mr. Anderson,” she said, “don’t talk rubbish-we’re accompanying you. I’m the ship’s detective, and Mr. Van Dine is my assistant.”
So I was Watson after all!
Within minutes we were on D deck, so far forward we were in the very nose of the ship, where-past the mess-hall-like Third Class Dining Room-a number of the stewards kept their quarters. Leach and another fellow shared a tiny cabin on the starboard side. Many of the stewards roomed together in dormitory-style areas another deck or two down, known as the “gloria.”
But Leach, friend of Anderson’s that he was, had been assigned one of these coveted cubicles. He had not been at his work station-he should have been busy with food service matters, involving the children’s dining room- and Anderson was checking the man’s quarters, accordingly.
Master-at-Arms Williams had the revolver in hand, to the right of the door, while Miss Vance and I were lined along the wall, down a bit, to the left. Anderson knocked.
“Mr. Leach!” he called.
Nothing.
“Mr. Leach!” Anderson called again.
Still nothing.
So the staff captain, backed up by the revolver-ready master-at-arms, used his passkey, and swung open the door.
They went in and we waited.
We heard a muttered, “Jesus Christ,” apparently from Anderson.
“Miss Vance!” Anderson called. “Come in here, please.”
She squeezed in; though not officially invited, I followed.
Leach was on the lower bunk, as if taking a snooze; but this was no nap: His posture was not one of repose, rather an ungainly sprawl that looked not a bit restful. His eyes were open, seeing nothing; his mouth was open, saying nothing.
And his skin bore a noticeable tinge of blue.
FOURTEEN
A cup of tea, two thirds of which had been consumed, the remaining third of which displayed the telltale aroma of bitter almonds, was found on a small wooden table near the bunks in Steward Neil Leach’s cabin.
Anderson declared the death an obvious suicide, and I will spare the reader the detailed redundancy of our next meeting with Staff Captain Anderson and Captain Turner, in the latter’s dayroom, in which the matter was declared once and for all finally closed.
“With the discovery of the pipe bomb in your quarters,” Anderson declared, “the purpose of the stowaways, and their crew member confederate, is established clearly as sabotage. . not theft, however much money some of our first-class passengers may have been foolish enough to bring along with them.”
Miss Vance seemed to have her doubts, but she did not express them to the two captains; from the tightness around her eyes, I could sense she had determined the uselessness of any effort to continue. She did request-a request that was granted-that she be allowed to take the late Leach’s fingerprints, and compare them to any prints found on the cup of cyanide-laced tea. This procedure, however, revealed only the dead man’s hands.
The following morning, Wednesday, we sat in the Verandah Cafe, enjoying the sparkle of the sea, the lullingly monotonous drone of rushing water, and glasses of iced tea (with lemon, sugar, but no cyanide). We had both received formal invitations to two parties Thursday evening: Theatrical producer Charles Frohman was throwing one in his suite, and wine magnate George Kessler would be taking over the Verandah Cafe itself for his do.
Traditionally, such end-of-the-voyage parties would have been held closer to. . the end of the voyage; but Staff Captain Anderson-to whom such social concerns had been relegated-had organized the ship’s final concert for Thursday night. The
We were just discussing the parties, when Charles Williamson-out enjoying the fine day, spiffy in a gray suit, and as hatless as Miss Vance-stopped by to inquire about the same subject.
“Will you be attending the Frohman affair?” he asked cheerfully, after we had invited him to pull up a chair and join us.
“Yes,” I said, “and probably the Kessler one, as well.”
The breeze ruffled his dark hair. “He’s a beastly character, this Kessler. . but he’s invited me, so I suppose I shall do the polite thing and attend.”
Miss Vance asked, “How is your friend Mr. Vanderbilt today? Is he recovering from his personal blow?”
Williamson frowned, shaking his head. “He’s quite melancholy, frankly. But I did manage to get him to take his meals at the dining room yesterday, and he’s agreed to attend the Frohman party.”
“It will be good for him,” I said.
“He’s quite a fan of Mr. Frohman and his theatrical ventures. The night before we embarked, I accompanied Alfred and his wife to a Frohman production.”
“
The production at the Empire Theater was a particularly popular one.
“Yes-excellent show.” The handsome, slender art dealer glanced at the sea, the blue of his eyes a darker shade than the waters. “Hard to believe this trip is almost over.”
“Such voyages seem forever,” I said, “and in an instant they’re gone.”
Williamson grinned wolfishly. “Now you’re sounding like that fellow Hubbard.”
“Please! No insults.”
Again he shook his head. “And we haven’t had a chance to really talk art yet-we have a debate ahead of us, on Synchromism, I feel.”
I returned his smile, saying, “Perhaps we do.”
“Maybe at the Frohman party,” he said, rising, nodding to us. “Or the Kessler. . Miss Vance, good morning.”
“Good morning, Mr. Williamson.”
He disappeared off down the deck.
“He’s in a pleasant mood today,” she said.
I ventured a smirk. “Maybe that’s because we didn’t bring up the Ruiz ‘suicide.’ That fellow can smile all he likes-he’s a scoundrel.”
Her own smile was amused, but the twinkle in her eyes seemed different, this time. “Do you think so?”
“Certainly. He either arranged a murder for Vanderbilt, or took it upon himself to kill the discarded mistress, and he’s wormed his way into his very rich friend’s life and pocketbook, ever since.”
Miss Vance was beaming at me. “Why, Mr. Van Dine-I believe you’re exactly right. . We don’t really think this investigation is over, do we?”
“No. Leach had an accomplice in first class, who spiked the poor bastard’s tea with cyanide, so the dead steward could take the full blame.”
She sipped her harmless tea. “Well, Leach was in it to his navel, no question-this was the work of a party of two. Leach got the stowaways aboard, and the plan was to disguise them as stewards. . probably in plain sight.”
“Giving them simple duties, you mean?”
Nodding, she said, “Possibly hiding the Huns when they weren’t gathering espionage materials, seeking to show the ship has munitions and other contraband aboard.”
“So they were, in your view, saboteurs.”
“Yes-but they were discovered too soon. . before they could talk at length with Leach, and meet their
