“Practically all,” Cassie said. “I only hope he won’t be too angry with us— Hail that cab, Bill. I’m too exhausted to think of getting Simeon from the parking lot.”
Dow and Leslie met the group at the door of Forty Birch Hill Road.
“Come in,” Dow said. “We’ve just heard about the Round family— Somehow, after what we’ve been through today, it doesn’t even amaze me. Cassie, I’m momentarily disengaged! Elsa dropped in with those kids on their way home, just after the Camera Club left. By the way, the locksmith’s coming to change the locks. I phoned him. Anyway, Elsa came, and I had a brain wave, and told her I was going to build us a little nest like this place, and she busted the engagement. Leslie’s still being coy, but she’s agreed to come home and meet mother—”
“Stop gabbling,” Cassie said. “Where’s Rutherford, and everyone?”
“Downstairs,” Dow said. “Judge Harriet Pomeroy Round is in a stew.”
“Did she confess?” Miss Chard asked eagerly.
“Everything,” Dow said. “The colonel sold her the idea that it was a bona fide, genuine double-cross that Ernest pulled on her, and Hattie boiled over and told all—”
“Hah!” the tall, erect figure of Colonel Carpenter loomed in the. hallway. “Hah! You!”
“Now don’t boom at us!” Cassie said anxiously. “There isn’t any need to boom! Did she tell everything?”
“Hah!” the colonel said. “Yes. Have to sort out the facts from what she thinks of Ernest, though. She wants to kill him, now. Claimed first that no one had any proof. I fooled her. Saw her this noon in a car with Medora. Know how she got Medora here? Just said, ‘Come along and I’ll give you back the money.’ Pretended to be conscience-stricken. Said ‘Come.’ And Medora was fool enough to come. Walked right into it. Spider and fly.”
“Who’s the man that came on the train?” Cassie asked.
“Kern. He saw Medora and Hattie together in the car, too. Kern’s the feller I sent for to take a look at Rossi. Have a nice trip, Bill, hah?”
“Dull,” Leonidas said. “Is Rossi the one that Kern wanted?”
“Wants him,” the colonel said with satisfaction, “for every damn count on the books. I was waiting to see what this League thing would bring forth. Knew something was up. Hattie says she’s going to appeal to the highest court in the land. If you ask me, she’ll get to a psychopathic ward before she gets to any court. That’s the trouble with women in politics. Don’t know when to stop.” He glared at Cassie. “Lucky thing Jock didn’t come here early.”
“Oh, Rutherford, you’re not going to be cross at us!” Cassie said.
“I saw Jock get on that pung,” the colonel said. “Saw him myself. I told him never to. Too dangerous. So when I saw him, I followed him up here to make sure he was safe. I dropped past later, and there’s Dow driving off with Jock in a bundle. Disgraceful. Lucky thing you never opened that door. Hindering justice. Know the penalty, hah?”
“Where’s the money, darling?” Cassie said. “Have you found it?”
“Thought Bill would know,” the colonel said. “Do you, Bill?”
Leonidas led them into the kitchen and opened the door of the red refrigerator.
“Hah,” the colonel said. “That’s not like my icebox. My light’s on the side. Very nice, though. What of it?”
“Mr. Round,” Leonidas said, “nervously put a brush box, which he thought contained important papers, in this icebox yesterday afternoon. He said there was a click, and when he opened the door, the papers were gone. Watch, now.”
“Hah!” the colonel said. “I see! The light pops out of that screened place when you open the door. Slips back when you shut it. Brush box went down there, hah? How’d you guess?”
“The celery heart I put in this morning,” Leonidas said, “was not there when we removed the contents of the icebox this afternoon. I’d put it up top, by the light. So—”
“You guessed all the time!” Cassie said. “Why didn’t you tell us?”
“I thought,” Leonidas said, “since no one else guessed, I might as well not make the fact public-jock, will you get a screw driver? You, see, colonel, first they tried to get the refrigerator. Then they hoped that Tudbury’s Horse would bring things to light. Then, of course, we’d be taken away for questioning, and leave them a clear field. All they had to do was to come and get the money at their leisure. Then they tried to frighten us away. Tell me, Miss Chard, was the judge late for the lecture-luncheon?”
“Oh, very late! Her car was stuck, she said.”
“M’yes,” Leonidas said. “What a satisfactory thing a snowstorm is. Er—have you got it, colonel?”
“Got the celery,” the colonel said. “The damn brush box is stuck. Get Cuff, Jock. He’s downstairs, hurling epithets at Rossi.”
Between them, the colonel and Cuff finally fished out the brush box from the opening where the little floodlight slid back.
“Hah,” the colonel said. “He pushed it in, and it popped down, when he closed the door. Look out for your fingernail, Jock. Money inside the box, is it? Good. Know the trouble, Bill, why they didn’t get that last night? I was here till two, fixing the tools. Told the prowl-car men to stay here—terrible night, you know. Terrible storm. Had calls switched to your phone. They didn’t leave till six, after the street was plowed.”
“And my Italians came to shovel at six,” Cassie said. “I phoned ‘em last night. And then after they left, Car Fifteen was on the corner. And then Bill came. Rutherford, will you make him a sergeant?”
“Why, for God’s sakes?” Colonel Carpenter forgot to boom. “Bill doesn’t want to be a sergeant!
