The most noteworthy happening of the following Sunday was that I accompanied my parents to church. I am not an avid churchgoer. As a matter of fact, I had not attended services since a buxom contralto in the choir with whom I had been consorting married a naval aviator and moved to Pensacola. After that, my faith dwindled.
But that morning I sat in the McNally pew, sang hymns, and stayed awake throughout the sermon, which was based on the dictum that it is more blessed to give than to receive. I supposed that included a stiff bop on the snoot. But the final prayer was devoted to Lydia Gillsworth, a former member of the congregation. The short eulogy was touching, and I was glad I was there to hear it.
We returned home to find a police car parked outside our back door. Sgt. A1 Rogoff, in civvies,
was in the kitchen drinking coffee with the Olsons. He stood up when we entered and apologized for his presence on a Sunday.
"But there are some things to talk about," he said to my father. "Including funeral arrangements. The Medical Examiner will release the. ." He glanced at mother, and his voice trailed off.
"Of course, sergeant," Pere McNally said. "Suppose you come into the study. I'll phone Gillsworth and find out what his wishes are."
"Fine," Al said, then looked at me before he followed my father. "You going to be around awhile?" he asked.
"I can be," I said.
"Do try, Archy," Rogoff said with that heavy sarcasm he sometimes affects. "I want to talk to you."
"I'm on the third floor," I told him. "Come up when you and father have finished."
I trudged upstairs, took off my Sunday-go-to-meet-ing costume, and pulled on flannel bags and a fuchsia Lacoste. I was wondering if I had time to nip downstairs for a tub of ice cubes when there was a knock on the door.
It was the first time the sergeant had been in my rooms, and he looked about with interest.
"Not bad," he said.
"The best thing about it is the rent."
He laughed. "Zilch?" he asked.
"You got it," I said. "Al, would you like a wee bit of the old nasty?"
"What's available?"
"Marc."
"What the hell is that?"
"Brandy made from wine sludge."
"I'm game. But just a small one."
I poured two tots, and A1 sampled his. He gasped and squinched his eyes.
"That'll take the tartar off my teeth," he said.
I had few accommodations for visitors, so the sergeant sat in the swivel chair behind my desk while I pulled up a rather tatty leather ottoman.
"How did you and father make out with Gillsworth?"
"Okay. He's going to take the casket up north. Apparently there's a family plot in a Rhode Island cemetery. She'll be buried there."
We sipped our minuscule drinks slowly. There is no other way to imbibe marc and survive.
"Al," I said, "I understand you hauled away the grandfather clock from the murder scene."
"That's right. It's a nice antique. Bleached pine case."
"What was the reason for taking it?"
"I wanted to find out if it was in working order before it was toppled."
"And was it?"
"Yep, according to the expert who examined it. When it was knocked over, one of the gears jolted loose and the clock stopped."
"So the time it showed was the time of the murder?"
"Seems like it, doesn't it."
I sighed. "You're not giving anything away, are you? Have you finally decided Gillsworth is clean?"
"He appears to be," Rogoff said grudgingly. "The time it takes to drive from here to his place at a legal speed checks out. Ordinarily his wife would have been home earlier from the seance, but she stayed awhile to talk with one of the women."
"Who told you that?"
"The woman." "This is like pulling teeth," I said. "Would you mind telling me the woman's name, sergeant?"
"Mrs. Irma Gloriana, the mother-in-law of the medium. You know her?"
"Mrs. Irma Gloriana?" I said carefully. "No, I've never met the lady. What's she like?"
"A tough broad," Al said, then paused and cast his eyes heavenward. "Forgive me, Susan B. Anthony," he said. "I meant to say that she's a strong-willed individual of the female gender."
"That's better," I said approvingly. "Otherwise I might have to charge you with PI-Political Incorrectness. Did you meet the medium?"
"Nope. She and her husband weren't home. I'll catch up with them tomorrow, along with all the others who were at the seance. I have their names."
"Where was the seance held?"
"At the Glorianas' condo. It's in a high-rise near Currie Park."
"A luxury high-rise?"
"Not very," Rogoff said. "In fact, I thought it was a ratty place. I guess communing with the dear departed doesn't pay as well as selling pizzas."
"Guess not," I said. "How did you get on to this Mrs. Irma Gloriana?"
"Gillsworth gave me her name. He had been to three or four seances with his wife and knew where they were held. But after a while he stopped going. Says the whole idea of spiritualism just doesn't grab him."
"Uh-huh. Did you time how long it would take Lydia to drive home from the seance?"
"That was the whole point, wasn't it? Of course I timed it. If Lydia left when the mother-in-law says she did, then she would have arrived home about when her husband talked to her from your father's study."
"So everything fits and Gillsworth is cleared?"
"I guess so," Rogoff said dolefully. "Could I have another shot of that battery acid? A tiny one. Just enough to dampen the glass."
I poured and said, "Al, what's bothering you? You don't seem to be convinced."
He drew a heavy breath and blew it out. "As you said, 'Everything fits.' Whenever that happens, I get antsy and start wondering if I've missed something. What's chewing me is that I've only got the statement of one witness as to the time the victim went home. I'd prefer to have several. But all the others who attended the seance had already left, and the medium and her husband had gone out to dinner. So only Mrs. Irma Gloriana can say when Lydia started home."
"You think she's lying?"
He stirred restlessly in the swivel chair. "Why the hell should she? What could possibly be her motive for lying? No, she's probably telling the truth. Now what about you? What have you been up to?"
"Not a great deal," I said, all innocence. I had been pondering how much to tell him. Not everything, of course, because I was certain he wasn't telling me everything. In the past we had cooperated on several investigations to our mutual benefit, but I always reckoned-and I think Rogoff did, too-that part of our success was due to the fact that we were as much competitors as partners. I believe we both enjoyed it. Nothing like rivalry to put a little Dijon on the sandwich. Adds zest, n'est-ce pas?
It was at that precise moment that the McNally talent for improv showed its mettle.
"Al," I said earnestly, "I just had an idea I think you'll like."
"Try me."
"Until you get the FBI report on those poison-pen letters, the seance and everyone connected with it represents our best lead-right?"
"Not necessarily," he argued. "Archy, we're just starting on this thing. We'll have to identify and question all the victim's neighbors, friends, and acquaintances, and establish their whereabouts at the time of the homicide."
"Agreed," I said. "A lot of legwork. But while you're doing that, why don't I zero in on the Gloria-nas? What I had in mind was going to them, passing myself off as a half-assed spiritualist, and setting up a seance with the medium. I'm not suggesting you ignore them entirely, but let me go at them from the angle of an eager client."
He stared at me thoughtfully. "Why do I have the feeling I'm being euchred?"
"You're not being euchred," I said heatedly. "The more I think of it, the better it sounds. I can be Mr. Inside and you can be Mr. Outside. The Glorianas will never know we're working together. They won't even realize we know each other. But between us, we should be able to get a complete picture of their operation."
He was silent a long time, and I feared I had lost him. But finally he sighed, finished his drink, and stood up.
"All right," he said. "I can't see where it will do any harm. You set up a seance and try to get close to the medium."
"I'll try," I said.
"And you'll keep me informed of anything you turn up?"
"Absolutely," I said. "And you'll keep me informed on your progress?"
"Positively," he said, and we smiled at each other.
After he left, I sat in the swivel chair, finished my marc, and licked the rim of the snifter. I was satisfied with the plot I had hatched. I wasn't deceiving Al, exactly, but now I had an official imprimatur for doing something I had already done. It's called finagling.
I jotted a few notes in my journal, trying to recall everything the sergeant had told me. One contradiction immediately apparent was his description of the Glorianas' condo as "ratty" while their glittering offices in a new building indicated a profitable enterprise. But their mauve and aqua suite, I decided, could be a flash front. During my two visits I certainly hadn't seen hordes of clients clamoring for psychic counsel. And despite Frank's elegant duds, I thought him something of a sleaze.
The weather was still blah, but being the sternly disciplined bloke I am, I went for my ocean swim nonetheless. Surprisingly, the sea was calm as the proverbial millpond, so as I plowed along I was able to think about the coming seance and plan a course of action.
When Hertha Gloriana suggested I provide a friend who might join the circle of believers and augment its psychic powers, I had intended to ask Consuela Garcia to accompany me. Connie was a go-for-broke kiddo and she'd think the whole thing an adventure she could gossip about for weeks.
But then I remembered I had asked Connie to answer the Glorianas' ad for a "personalized psychic profile." The risk was too great that they would recognize her name, and that might eliminate whatever chance I had of proving their mail order project a fraud. I decided that instead of Connie, I'd ask Meg Trumble to attend the seance with me.
What a fateful decision that turned out to be!
I returned from my swim in time to dress for the family cocktail hour-my third change of apparel that day. It was while dispensing our first martini that my father delivered unexpected news.
"Roderick Gillsworth would like to see you, Archy," he said.
I blinked. "What on earth for?"
"He didn't say. He suggested you come over this evening after dinner. I think perhaps you better phone first."
"All right," I said doubtfully. "Rather odd, wouldn't you say, sir?"
"I would. But I'd like you to take advantage of your meeting, if you feel the time is opportune, to mention the necessity of his drafting a new will. Just refer to it casually, of course. It may serve to start him thinking of his financial responsibilities."
"I'll do what I can," I said. "But I really can't imagine why he should want to talk with me."
Mother looked up. "Perhaps he's lonely," she said quietly.
Sunday dinner was a more relaxed occasion than that of the previous night. I think my parents and I were determined not to let our sorrow at Lydia Gillsworth's death affect the serenity of our household. What a cliche it is to say that life goes on, so I shall say it: "Life goes on." And Ursi Olson's mixed grill (lamb chops, tournedos, medaillons of veal) was a splendid reminder.
We finished our key lime mousse and coffee a little after eight-thirty. I phoned Gillsworth, and he asked if I could arrive around nine. He sounded steady enough. I said I'd be there and inquired if there was anything he needed that I might bring along. First he thanked me and said there was not. But then, after a pause, he asked timidly if the McNallys could spare a bottle of vodka. His supply was kaput and he would repay as soon as he could get to a liquor store.
I saw nothing unusual in this request, but I feared it might trouble my father. (Tabloid headline: "Grieving Hubby Drinks Himself into Insensibility on Attorney's Booze.") So I sneaked a liter of Sterling from our reserve in the utility room and hustled it out to the Miata without being caught.
Crime scene tape was still in place around the Gillsworth home, but there were no police cars in sight. Roderick himself answered my knock and greeted me with a wan smile. He said he was alone, finally, and thanked me for bringing the plasma.
"Have the reporters been a nuisance?" I asked as he led me to his study. (I was happy he hadn't selected the sitting room where the body was found.)
"Not too bad," he said. "Your father handled most of them, and I refused to grant television interviews. Make yourself comfortable while I fetch some ice cubes. Would you like a mix?"
"Water will be fine," I said, and when he left, I settled into a threadbare armchair and looked about with interest.
I had never before been in a poet's den, and it was something of a disappointment: just a small book-lined room with worn desk, battered file cabinet, an unpainted worktable laden with reference books and a typewriter. It was an ancient Remington, not electronic and definitely not a word processor. I don't know what I expected to find in this poet's sanctum sanctorum-perhaps a framed photograph of Longfellow or a Styrofoam bust of Joyce Kilmer.
But there were no decorative touches. That drab room could easily be the office of any homeowner: a nook too cramped and depressing to be used for anything but answering threats from the IRS.
He returned with a bucket of ice cubes, a flask of water, and two highball glasses. He placed them on the table alongside my bottle of Sterling.
"I'm a miserable bartender," he confessed. "Would you mix your own?"
"Certainly, sir," I said.
"That's another thing," he added. "Your 'sir' and 'Mr. Gillsworth,' while appreciated, really aren't necessary. I've always addressed you as Archy. If you called me Rod, my ego would not be irretrievably damaged."
"Force of habit," I said. "Or rather force of training. I may be the last son in America who addresses his father as 'sir.' "
"Your father's different."
"Yes," I said, sighing, "he is that."
I built my own drink: a little vodka, a lot of water. He mixed his own: a lot of vodka, a little water. I took the armchair again, and he lowered himself into a creaky swivel chair behind his desk.
"Rod," I said, beginning to recite a short speech I had rehearsed, "I haven't had a chance to express my condolences on the death of your wife. It was a terrible tragedy that saddened my parents and me. We shall always remember Lydia as a good neighbor and a gracious lady."
"Yes," he said, "she was. Thank you."
I sipped, but he gulped, and I wondered if he swilled in that fashion to make certain he'd sleep that night.
"It makes my poems seems so meaningless," he mused, staring into his glass. "So futile."
"It shouldn't have that effect," I said. "Surely your wife's tragic death could provide inspiration for poetry in an elegiac mood."
"Perhaps," he said. "In time. At the moment my mind is empty of everything but sorrow. I hope you're right. I hope that eventually I'll be able to express my bereavement and by writing about it exorcise my pain and regain some semblance of emotional tranquility."
I thought that rather much. In fact it sounded like a speech he had rehearsed. But perhaps poets talked that way. Or at least this poet.
He took another heavy swallow of his drink and slumped in his chair. His eyes were reddened, as if from weeping, and his entire face seemed droopy. I fancied that even his long nose had sagged since I last saw him. He was now a very gloomy bird indeed.
"Archy," he said, "I understand that you will continue investigating the poison-pen letters."
"That's correct."
"You'll be working with Sergeant Rogoff?"
I nodded.
"What do you think of him? Is he competent?"
"More than competent," I said. "Al is a very expert and talented police officer."
Gillsworth made a small sound I think he intended as a laugh. "I believe he suspects me."
"That's his job, Rod," I explained. "The investigation is just beginning. The sergeant must suspect everyone connected with Mrs. Gillsworth until their whereabouts at the time the crime was committed can definitely be established."
"Well, my whereabouts have definitely been established. I was with you and your father."
"Rogoff understands that," I said as soothingly as
I could. "But he can take nothing for granted. Every alibi must be verified."
He finished his drink and poured himself another, as massive as the first.
"What angers me the most," he said, "is that he won't give me any information. I ask him what is being done to find the maniac who killed my wife, and he just mutters, 'We're working on it.' I don't consider that adequate."
"At this stage I doubt if there is anything to tell you. And even when progress is made, the police are very cautious about revealing it. They don't want to risk raising false hopes, and they are wary about identifying any person as being under suspicion until his or her guilt can be proved."
Gillsworth shook his head. "It's maddening. Now I've got to accompany Lydia's casket up north for the funeral. Her family is sure to ask what is being done to find the killer, and all I'll be able to tell them is that the police are working on it."
"I know it's frustrating," I said sympathetically. "It's difficult to be patient, but you must remember the police have had the case for only forty-eight hours."
"How long do you think it will take to solve it?"
"Rod, there is absolutely no way to predict that. It could be days, weeks, months, years."
He groaned.
"But there is no statute of limitations on homicide," I said. "The police will keep at it as long as it takes-and so will I."
"Thank you for that," he said. "I see you need a refill. Please help yourself." While I was doing exactly that, he said, "Archy, will you be exchanging information with Rogoff?"
"I hope so."
"While I'm up north for Lydia's funeral, may I phone you to ask if any progress has been made? I don't want to call Rogoff; he'll tell me nothing."
"Of course you can phone me," I said. I was about to add that naturally I'd be unable to reveal anything without Rogoff s permission. But Gillsworth's animus toward the sergeant seemed evident, and not wanting to exacerbate it, I said no more.
"I'll really appreciate it if you can keep me informed."
"How long will you be gone, Rod?"
"Two or three days. I'd like to give you a set of house keys before you leave tonight. Would you be kind enough to look in once or twice while I'm gone?"
"I'd be glad to."
"Thank you. Our cleaning lady, Marita, has been given two weeks off, so she won't be around. And I have handed over a set of keys to the police. I don't know why they wanted them, but that sergeant grunted something about security. Oh God, what a mess this whole thing is."
"Rod, I hate to add to your burdens, but my father asked me to mention something to you. It is imperative that you make out a new will. Unfortunately, circumstances have changed, and your present will is simply inadequate."
His head snapped up as if I had slapped him.
"I hope I haven't offended you by referring to it," I said hastily.
"No, no," he said. "That's all right. I was just shocked that it hadn't even occurred to me. Your father is correct, as usual. As you probably know, Lydia inherited a great deal of money, and now I suppose it comes to me. What a filthy way to get rich."
"It was her wish," I reminded him.
"I know, but still.. Very well, you can tell your father that I'll certainly give it a lot of thought, and when I return from the funeral I'll get together with him."
"Good," I said. "A will isn't something that should be delayed."
He looked at me with a twisted smile. "A legal acknowledgment of one's mortality," he said. "Isn't that what a will is?"
"I suppose so," I said. "But for a man in your position it's a necessity."
He poured himself another drink with a hand that trembled slightly. I wondered how many more of those bombs he'd be able to gulp without falling on his face. I wanted to caution him but it wasn't my place.
He must have guessed what I was thinking because he grinned foolishly and said, "I'll sleep tonight."
"That you will."
"You know, these are the first drinks I've had since Lydia died. I wanted a drink desperately while waiting for the police to arrive, but it seemed shameful to need alcohol to give me courage to see it through. But now I don't care. I need peace even if it comes from a bottle and even if it's only temporary. Can you understand that?"
"Of course," I said. "As long as you have no intention of leaving the house tonight."
"No intention," he mumbled, his voice beginning to slur. "Positively no intention."
"That's wise," I said, finished my drink, and stood up. I had no desire to witness this stricken man's collapse. "Then if you'll give me your house keys, I'll be on my way."
He rooted in the top drawer of his desk and finally handed me three keys strung on an oversized paperclip. "Front door, back door, and garage," he said.
"I'll look in while you're gone," I promised. "And may I tell father you'll consult him about a new will when you return?"
"Yes," he said. "New will. I'll think about it."
He didn't stagger when he accompanied me to the front door, but he moved very, very slowly and once he placed a palm against the wall for support. He turned to face me at the entrance. I couldn't read his expression.
"Archy," he said, "do you like me? Do you?"
"Of course I like you," I said.
He grabbed my hand and clasped it tightly between both of his. "Good man," he said thickly. "Good man."
I gently drew my hand away. "Rod, be sure to lock up and put the chain on."
Outside, the door closed, I listened until I heard the sounds of the lock being turned and the chain fumbled into place. Then I took a deep breath of the cool night air and drove home.
I garaged the Miata and saw lights in my father's study. His door was open, which I took as an invitation to enter. He was seated in the leather club chair, a glass of port at his elbow. He was reading one of the volumes from his leather-bound set of Dickens. The book was hefty, and I guessed it to be Dombey and Son. He was stolidly reading his way through the entire Dickens oeuvre, and I admired his perseverance. Even more amazing, he remembered all the plots. I don't think even Dickens could do that.
He looked up as I entered. "Archy," he said, "you're home. You saw Gillsworth?"
"Yes, sir. He gave me a set of his house keys and asked that I look in once or twice while he's up north at the funeral."
I was waiting for him to ask me to sit down and have a glass of something, but he didn't.
"You brought up the subject of the will?"
"I did. He said he'd give it some thought and consult you when he returned."
"I suppose that's the best that can be hoped for. What condition is he in?"
"When I left him, he was half in the bag and still drinking."
One of father's eyebrows ascended. "That's not like Gillsworth. I've never known him to overindulge."
"Emotional strain," I suggested.
"No excuse," the lord of the manor pronounced and went back to his Dickens.
I climbed the stairs to my perch, thinking of what an uncompromising man my father was. And as I well knew, his bite was worse than his bark.
I undressed, showered, and scrubbed my choppers. Then I pulled on a silk robe I had recently purchased at a fancy-schmancy men's boutique on Worth Avenue. It bore a design of multicolored parrots carousing in a jungle setting. One of those crazy birds had a startling resemblance to Roderick Gillsworth.
I treated myself to a dram of marc and lighted an English Oval-my first cigarette of the day! I slouched in the padded swivel chair, put my bare feet up on the desk, and ruminated on why the poet had asked if I liked him. His question was as perplexing as Hertha Gloriana's kiss.
I didn't think it was the vodka talking; Gillsworth was seeking reassurance. But of what-and why from me? I could only conclude that his wife's death had left him so bereft that he had reached out to make contact with another human being. I happened to be handy.
But that explanation was not completely satisfying. Sgt. Rogoff has often accused me of having a taste for complexity, of searching for hidden motives and unconscious desires when I'd do better to accept the obvious. A1 could be right, and mother was correct in suggesting that Gillsworth was simply lonely. But I was not totally convinced.
Take as a case in point the recent behavior of yrs. truly. When the poet had asked, "Do you like me?" I had automatically replied, "Of course I like you." That was the polite and proper response to an intimate query from a man who was apparently suffering and needed, for whatever reason, a boost to his morale. And I had duly provided it.
But if the truth be known, I didn't like him. I didn't dislike him; I just felt nothing for him at all. That was my secret, and hardly something I'd reveal to him. I mention it now merely as an illustration of how the obvious frequently masks reality.
I was still musing gloomily on the strangeness of human nature when my phone rang. It was then almost midnight, and a call at that hour was not calculated to lift the McNally spirits. My first thought was: Now who's died?
"H'lo?" I said warily.
"Archy?" A woman's voice I could not immediately identify.
"Yes. To whom am I speaking?"
"Such elegant grammar! Meg Trumble."
Relief was better than a schooner of marc.
"Meg!" I practically shouted. "How are you?" "Very well, thank you. I didn't wake you up, did
I?"
"Of course not. It's the shank of the evening."
"Well, I did call earlier, but I guess you were out. Behaving yourself, I hope."
"Unfortunately. You're calling from King of Prussia?"
"Yes, but I'm leaving early tomorrow morning, and I do mean early. I should be in Florida by Tuesday."
"Can't wait," I said. "Listen, if you arrive in time, give me a call and we'll have dinner. You'll be ready to unwind after all that driving."
"I was hoping you'd say that," she said. "I'm not even telling Laverne when I expect to arrive, but I'll phone you as soon as I get in. See you Tuesday night."
"Good-o," I said. She hung up, and I sat there grinning like an idiot at the dead phone.
It was incredible what a goose that phone call gave to my dismal mood. I was immediately convinced I would rescue Peaches, find the killer of Lydia Gillsworth, the sun would shine full force on the morrow, and I would lose at least five pounds.
When A. Pope wrote about hope springing eternal, he obviously had A. McNally in mind.