The Andre Norton Megapack - 15 Classic Novels and Short Stories

town gal either. I went in to the office and was just picking up the receiver to call Thane when Jim Brown walked in. I turned on him and he was the sickest and saddest guy I’ve seen for a long time. He told me all—or at any rate all he knew. But he knew enough to scare the pants off me. Well—we didn’t wait to call Thane, we began a systematic search of the place. And it wasn’t long before we discovered Philippine’s body—”
    “Body? But you said—”
    “I repeat. You are not to interrupt unless you want the whole floor.She was alive, but apparently in a very bad way. She seemed to have a bash on the back of her head but not all that bad. Still, she looked like a corpse all right. Jim carried her back into the kitchen and I let him in on the contents of Lucy’s secret cupboard. So, while he was pouring brandy down Philippine’s throat, I went on looking for you. But, hell, I couldn’t find you anywhere. I confess I didn’t feel too happy—even though you are such a care and worry to me—”
    “Peter. Do you have to drag this out so— please.”
    Peter grinned. “I am telling my story as you wanted me to. And in my own way. I went back to the house. By that time Philippine had come to, and she was, as she always is when conscious, both sensible and coherent. She confessed that you had both agreed to let Jim off and then she said that you two got talking and that you told her about that secret cache of Margie’s in the shed out back—”
    “That’s right.”
    “Is it? Good. She said she felt that she must have a look at Margie’s things even at that late hour, but you objected because you were frightened—”
    “I—well, yes, I have to admit that I was—”
    “And with good reason, I may add. I was wild with her by then and called her all kinds of names for such an escapade—utter madness. Then she poured out a story about how she thought Margie had a guilt complex and had been taking poison and she wanted to protect Margie’s name—and, I suspect, the business—by having a look at Margie’s private possessions before the police could—”
    “Well, but isn’t that true? I mean didn’t Margie commit suicide?”
    “Are you absolutely insane, Fredericka, or have you a few grains of sense left? If Margie was the guilty one, who the devil hit you over the head—a fter Margie was dead?”
    “I never thought of that,” Fredericka said weakly. “Philippine then went on to tell me how you two bright little gals started out with your flashlight—”
    “Hers—”
    “What difference does that make? It was the one that bashed you both over the head.” Peter’s patience seemed to have worn thin. “Then she told me about feeling someone come up from behind, dropping the flashlight in panic and then being hit on the head, and knowing no more. She said you were ahead of her and had just warned her about the old well. That gave me a bright idea and I dashed out—and sure enough I found the well, all neatly covered up with boards. I ripped them off in a hurry and there, sure enough, was our Fredericka, all crumpled up in the bottom which, thank God, was full of old cuttings that Chris must have been dumping in for years—and so where you landed was dry—”
    “Not very—”
    “Enough so you didn’t drown. I called and—you answered. It was a good sound, I confess. Well, it didn’t take long to hoist you out and get you here. By that time, of course, you’d passed out again. Jim helped. Philippine also went out again on the sofa, but eventually she was able to drive herself home while we were getting you to the hospital. Thane came to rejoice with me. And that, boys and girls, will be all for this morning. If you listen in at the same time tomorrow!”
    “Oh, Peter, shut up!”
    “I have. It’s your turn now.”
    “Everything’s exactly as Philippine told you. I can see that I wasn’t very bright, but for one thing I didn’t want to admit that Philippine was braver than I was when there didn’t seem to be any logical reason to be scared after what Philippine had told me about Margie.”
    “Exactly what did she tell you?”
    “Just what she told you, I expect,” Fredericka said. But when he urged her for details she tried to remember all that Philippine had said and repeated their conversation word for word.
    “Yes. That’s pretty much what she told me.”
    “It makes sense.”
    “It made sense, you mean. You seem to forget that there has been as near