Mammoth Mystery, January, 1946
Hatred caused Reece to send his rival a gift to be worn next to the heart. But he forgot to say whose heart ...
LEVERLY placed floodlights
concealed by the shadows, which showed that
silhouetted the girl’s slim body she had still to gain the statue-like immobility C through the filmy robe draped in necessary in a professional photographer’s graceful folds about her. Without the ultra
model. Reece hesitated a moment in the act of
modern bathroom background, she might have
squeezing the shutter release bulb, looking at been some shy nymph poised beside a pool in
her. He felt the strange feeling of aching
a hidden forest glade.
tightness well up into his throat. He’d taken
“Hold it, now!” Reece said with quiet
pictures of scores of beautiful women, but be
urgency from where he stood beside the big
couldn’t recall having felt this way before.
camera. He watched her tensely, conscious
This was the first time any girl had ever been that the shutter release bulb was dangerously
more than a common object of photographic
slippery in his hand. It was stiflingly hot in the composition, a mere problem in lights and
studio, and Reece had already taken three shadows, and he was afraid. Afraid because shots of the girl, rearranging the lights and
what he felt was so new and rare he could not
setting each time in the effort to be certain that bear the thought of disappointment.
he got one picture which would be exactly
Reece swallowed hard and pressed the
right.
bulb. “That’s all,” he told Leila,
Leila Nesbitt held the pose, though
The girl slipped at once into the
with an evidence of strain, fortunately comparative darkness to one side of the softly
Mammoth Mystery
2
floodlighted bathroom scene and began electric current.
quickly to pull on a more substantial robe.
He said slowly, “The pictures are
Reece was careful not to watch her. He busied
important to me, too, Leila. Jerry Kendall and himself with the camera, sharply aware of the
I are running this advertising agency on a
small rustling sounds she made.
partnership basis, with Jerry taking care of the He liked her shyness, her natural business end while I handle the art work.
unspoiled modesty. It was this, even more
We’re both in the same boat. Naturally, I’m
than her refreshing vivacious beauty, which
hoping the pictures turn out well. Getting that had attracted him, for it had set her apart from contract from the Dahlia Cosmetic Company
the women he knew. Photographer’s models
would establish us among the big firms and
usually become quite unconcerned and base
bring in more business.”
after a time about displaying their physical
Leila smiled ruefully. “You look too
charms, and in this respect Reece found Leila
much like an artist, Floyd. I keep forgetting
different. She was a newcomer to the that you’re a businessman, too.”
modeling game. He had met her a little over a
Unintentionally, the girl had touched
month before, a short time after she had Reece in a sensitive spot. To hide the sudden arrived in the city, looking for work. bitterness which twisted his face, he turned Fascinated at once by the novelty of her quickly to a nearby table and picked up the reserve, Reece had hired her. And all too soon photographic plates which he had just
he had found himself thinking in terms of
exposed. He resented his appearance—a
wedding rings and apartments for two.
resentment which had grown entirely out of
“Do you think the pictures will turn
his association with Kendall. Short and thin
out all right, Floyd?” Leila asked anxiously as and with a sedentary pallor, Reece was all too Reece turned off the floodlights. She was aware that he cut a poor figure beside Kendall, barefooted, looking almost child-like in the
who was tall and athletic. He did not like to
long green robe. Her chestnut hair, the hue of have the contrast referred to, no matter how
polished mahogany, had been piled atop her
indirectly, and coming from Leila, the hurt
small head for the picture, and now she began
was especially keen.
deftly to rearrange it, searching Reece’s face
“Are you going to develop the pictures
questioningly.
yourself, Floyd?” Leila asked, indicating the
Reece flashed her a grin of plates.
reassurance. “Don’t worry, Leila. With you in
Forcing an expression of calmness,
them, the pictures are certain to be perfect.”
Reece nodded. “This is a rush job, and with
“I didn’t mean that,” Leila said everything depending on the results. I quickly, her delicate features reddening. “I
wouldn’t care to trust any of the assistants
was thinking about Mr. Kendall. You know
with them.”
how important these pictures are to him.”
“I’m going to get dressed, then,” Leila
said. She smiled at Reece and started toward
REECE glanced at the girl sharply, feeling a
the dressing room adjoining the studio.
sudden wrench of dismay. He wondered why
“Oh, just a minute, Leila!” Reece
she should be so concerned about Jerry called.
Kendall. Could it be that she was interested in
“Yes?” She turned back to him
him? Reece went cold at the thought. He had
questioningly.
not considered Kendall as a rival, but now the
“I ... I hope you won’t think I’m
possibility came to him with the shock of an
rushing matters, but I’d like to know if I could
Close to My Heart
3
take you out again tonight.”
Now he grinned with an expression of
“I’m sorry, Floyd. Mr. Kendall has exaggerated boasting and waved a hand of already asked me.”
which the thumb and forefinger formed a
Reece had an abruptly sick feeling.
circle, the remaining three fingers stiffly erect.
“Jerry? You ... you’re going out with Jerry?”
Kendall seized the pictures impatiently
Leila stared at Reece wonderingly. As
and spread them out on his desk. He and Leila
though frightened by what she saw in his face, scrutinized them with exclamations of delight.
she turned quickly away.
“They’re great!” Kendall said. “You
For some seconds, Reece stood there
did a swell job, Floyd. As soon as the copy is as though in a daze. Finally he roused himself ready, we’ll ship the layout to the Dahlia
into motion, started leadenly toward the Cosmetics people. The pictures alone are sure darkroom. He walked as though through the
to win us the contract.”
shards of broken hopes. He knew that there
Sliding the pictures together, Kendall
was no longer any hope for him, if Jerry
placed them carefully in his desk. “This calls Kendall were interested! in Leila. His envy of for a celebration. Get your coat on, Floyd, and Kendall suddenly became cold relentless we’ll all go downstairs for a few drinks.”
hatred.
“Right with you!” Reece assented
In the darkroom, going mechanically
lightly. He was relieved to see Leila’s face
through the process of developing the plates,
clear up at his ready acceptance of the
Reece found himself toying with the though of
invitation. He knew she had dismissed as
murder. If Kendall were out of the way, he
unimportant his chagrin earlier at the news
would have a clear field where Leila was
that she was going out with Kendall. Soon she
concerned. And the agency would belong to
would forget about it entirely. Thus when
him entirely. Kendall had organized and Kendall died, she would have no reason to advanced it to the point where Reece felt he
suspect Reece.
could easily carry on.
But the stumbling block in Kendall’s
Leila and Kendall, and together they rode the
elimination was how to do it safely. Reece
elevator down to the combination restaurant
knew he had to avoid suspicion not only from
and cocktail lounge on the main floor of the
the police, but from Leila also. Especially
building. Kendll’s elation at the certainty of from Leila, since the girl had already guessed the deal with the cosmetic company filled him
his feelings. With vengeful determination, with small-boy mischief. He pointed at Reece Reece began to ponder ways and means.
teasingly.
“Look at that coat, Leila. Have you
JERRY KENDALL was in his office, talking
ever seen anything like it? Why, it’s stuffed
to Leila, when Reece entered with the finished more full of junk than a kid’s pockets. Floyd
prints. Kendall rose eagerly to his feet. “How is a regular perambulating junk shop!”
did the pictures turn out, Floyd?”
Reece chuckled good-naturally, though
Reece had already decided on the inwardly he ached with rage. “Going through attitude he would assume for the duration of
trash cans is an old habit of mine,” he returned his relations with Kendall—relations to be easily. “I manage to pick up a few things here terminated as soon as a fool-proof plan for
and there. Every little bit helps, business being murder presented itself. He would be the way it is.”
completely friendly and ingratiating, as
Kendall and Leila laughed
though nothing at all were going to happen.
appreciatively. Leila said, sobering:
Mammoth Mystery
4
“I’ve often noticed the way your
Reece knew Vallo quite well, as did
pockets bulge, Floyd. Just what do you carry
Kendall also, since Vallo’s art gallery and
in them anyway?”
curio shop was on the same floor as the
“Photographic equipment, mostly. A agency offices. Leila had already met him, miniature camera, spare film, photometers, having been introduced by Reece a few weeks reference books, and things like that. Good
before.
pictures are all around you, and it pays to be At Reece’s gesture of invitation, Vallo
prepared.”
pulled up a chair and sat down. He proceeded
Kendall slapped Reece’s back. “That’s
at once to fix Leila with a devouring gaze.
the proper attitude, Floyd. But going around in
“Madonna!” he exclaimed at last. “It
a coat with so many suspicious bulges, I cannot be, but my eyes, they do not lie. Each should think you’d scare the pictures away.”
time I look at you, Signorina, I am reminded Reece choked back his anger, keeping
of a certain miniature in my collection.”
the smile fixed rigidly on his face. He was
“You’ve mentioned that before,” Leila
painfully aware that Kendall was making him
said. “Just what is this certain miniature
look like a fool—and in front of Leila. His
you’re always talking about?”
determination to kill Kendall became a thing
Vallo leaned toward her confidingly,
of burning intensity.
but watching him, Reece thought he detected
In the cocktail lounge, they found a
in the other’s attitude a strange hint of
table and ordered drinks. Kendall exuberantly
contradiction. Vallo’s eyes, for some reason,
proposed a toast.
seemed to become lidded, guarded, as though
“Here’s to Dahlia Cosmetics. May he were hiding as much as what he intended to their lipstick never smear and their mascara
reveal.
never run!”
“The miniature is a little painted
portrait, just so big.” Vallo held out a thumb THEY laughed and drank. Kendall began to
and a forefinger, separated by a space of some discuss plans for expansion of the agency as if two inches. “It was made in Venice around the
the Dahlia Cosmetic contract was a foregone
time of the Borgia’s. It is old, very old, and conclusion. Reece forced a pretense of valuable. But most important, Signorina, the interest, fuming as he noticed how Leila hung
same as your own!”
Reece was pleased when Dominick
Vallo leaned forward still further, to
Vallo appeared beside the table. The presence
the amusement of Reece and Kendall and the
of the moody Italian art dealer would serve
dismay of Leila. “Ah, you must see this
excellently to divert Leila’s attention from miniature, Signorina. I will show you other Kendall.
things. Famous paintings—”
“Ah, my friends, how are you?” Vallo
Kendall chuckled. “Come up and see
greeted effusively. He seemed to have had a
my etchings, said the spider to the fly.”
few drinks too many. As always, his
Vallo drew back with an injured
expensively tailored suit was wrinkled and
expression. “What! You suggest that I,
mussed. His great shock of curly black hair,
Dominick Vallo, might have what you call
streaked with white, stood on end as though
dishonorable intentions? It is an insult!” Vallo from repeated nervous combing with his promptly forgot his honor as a bar hostess fingers. He had sad liquid eyes and a long
appeared with a tray of drinks. He buried his
melancholy face.
long nose in a glass eagerly. When he finally
Close to My Heart
5
set it down, his mournful expression had he’d have burst with the volcanic fury inside returned.
him.
“Ah, no, the Vallo’s have long been
Reece remained for a while at the table
known as men of integrity and virtue. The
with Vallo. The mournful-looking art dealer
little Signorina would be quite safe in my kept exclaiming at intervals over the marvel of hands. Why . . . why, gladly would I lay down
Leila’s resemblance to the lady in the
my life to protect her! There is nothing I
miniature. Reece wa
s only dimly aware of
would not do. She has only to say the word,
what Vallo was saying. He was grappling
and I would gladly end my life.” Vallo once more with the problem of his intended thumped the table and looked at Leila with a
murder of Kendall.
kind of mournful determination.
“Don’t believe him,” Kendall told the
A WEEK passed. The Dahlia Cosmetic
girl. “Dominick tells that to all the ladies. In Company approved of the pictures and layout,
fact, he has quite a reputation around here as a and the contract was duly signed. Reece found
potential suicide. The only reason why he isn’t himself suddenly overwhelmed with an influx
dead already is because he always passes out
of new business. He saw little or nothing of
from too much bottled courage before he can
Leila, but from occasional remarks dropped by
commit the bloody deed.”
Kendall, he knew Kendall was seeing the girl
“Ah, but this time it is different,” Vallo
frequently—all too frequently.
insisted. He seemed determined that Leila
Recce’s problem was still unsolved.
should not take his threat lightly. “This time I No safe plan for murder had yet suggested
mean it. Long I have been in love with the girl itself. And with the element of time now
in the miniature. And now to find her in the
introduced by the growing intimacy between
flesh, alive . . . .” Vallo released a doleful Kendall and Leila, the whole thing was
sigh. “Ah, if I were only young again; But,
beginning to look hopeless.
Signorina, perhaps you do not mind?” Vallo During a lull in his work, one
asked, leaning suddenly toward Leila again.
afternoon, Reece seized the opportunity to