Landis

“ Graham came down the steps and in a moment joined them, his smile a trifle perfunctory.
“We’re not going to keep you long,” Landis assured him with a friendly grin. “Remember the night Mrs. Graham burned her back?”
Graham showed his surprise.
“Is there anything you fellows don’t know? You bet I do,” he added warmly.
172
“Miss Mount dressed the burn, we understand. Did you happen to notice anything peculiar about her manner?”
“No. I ducked out of sight right away, not being dressed. Why in the world should there be anything peculiar—”
“Wait a bit,” Landis smiled. ”

“ Bernard rose to his feet and they walked down the library toward the Japanese armor.
With a nod to Sergeant Forbes, Landis bent over the blunted arrow. A moment later he restored the bit of feather to his pocket and smiled at Bernard.
“She fits!” he said.
“I expected it would!” growled Bernard. “I liked that check on Allen and Miss Mount and getting Brent’s finger-prints better. But the feather may be useful.”
“In a case of this kind,” said Landis with mock pomposity, “we’re in the position of a man cast up on a desert island. Anything may be useful.” ”

“ She sank down in a low chair beside Elizabeth and watched Min work. Her speech impressed her hearer that she was doing work of so high an order that common spirits like her own could not comprehend. Elizabeth had heard Landis make such reference before, but after having talked with Miss Rice, she concluded that Landis, when speaking in her own peculiar way, had in mind the life of a missionary which was to be hers on leaving school. Elizabeth had a great reverence for religion. So while Landis made these speeches, she listened with becoming attention. ”

“ Bernard and Landis sat motionless, watching him curiously. The dead man’s brother appeared to have forgotten entirely that he was not alone.
Suddenly Landis remembered the sergeant still on duty in the hall. He went out, suggested that he join the policeman in the reception-room and returned to the library fire. As he drew near, Joel Harrison glanced up at him in surprise.
“How do you do?” he said with some formality.
“Very well indeed, thank you,” replied Landis as he sat down. “How are you, Mr. Harrison?”
“Oh, quite well. I’m always well!” ”

“ The Paiute nodded. It was evident that he “savvied.” He had shown Landis a copper ledge off in the mountains, two years before, and Landis had given him a hundred dollars. It was Indian Nick’s opinion that Landis was “heap pretty good man;” and he now recognized the value of silence until such a time as Landis would let him speak. Other white men had, before this, got him to show them prospects upon promises, and—without an exception—had cheated him out of his due. But Jon Landis was different. ”

“ A year or so ago Landis, speaking at the unveiling of a monument to President Lincoln, uttered the phrase, “Abraham Lincoln—that mystic mingling of star and clod.” This was loudly applauded. After the speech a friend of Landis approached him, and, repeating the phrase, said: “Fred, what in the name of heaven does that mean?” Putting his arm around his friend’s shoulder, Landis replied: “I don’t know, really, but it gets ’em every time.”
[Pg 152]
Captain Foretopp tells a story of a certain noted divine who was on his steamer when a great gale overtook them off the Oregon coast. ”

“ She was a girl of large physique, with broad shoulders, which she carried rigidly. This, with the haughty pose of her head, attracted attention to her even in a crowd.
Her companion was as tall, but more slender. It was evident that she looked up to Landis and depended upon her in every emergency. A reader of human nature could have seen at a glance that she was the weaker.
From their conversation, it appeared they knew all places and people of importance along the route. As the train stopped at Westport, Landis viewed the town with critical eye. ”

“ Surprises! There’s always a way, or almost always. No matter how hard they try, guilty people can’t always act exactly as they would act if they were innocent!”
“I think I see,” nodded Landis gratefully. “When the case crops up we can dope out a way together, sir.”
This time Bernard laughed. “Is tha-at so? My lad, you’ll have to whistle pretty loud to get this hulk out of harbor. Marion and I are quite contented, thank you!”
“Wouldn’t disturb you for the world!” Landis turned. Tsu, the houseboy, stood in the doorway.
“Mistee Landis,” he intoned, “Headqualtees ling on telephone. ”

“ Half convinced, Bernard stood looking down at the soft rope until Landis returned from his trip through the bathroom, carrying the last cross-bow which they had examined. He watched Landis set it down, clear away the writing material and place the cross-bow on the desk, so that it pointed through the window. Then he moved nearer.
“See these new scratches on the desk?” demanded Landis. “The business end of the stock just fits them! The butt230 must have been raised on a book or something to get the right aim. That clothes-line was used to lash it down to the desk! ”

“ Graham stared at him angrily for a moment, then turned on his heel and stalked off in pursuit of his wife.
“Those two,” murmured Landis, “are the only really likeable people in the house, except maybe Miss Mount! Also, I think that Cuddy on Long Island will be an early port of call!”
“You bet he will,” returned Bernard. “In the meantime, suppose we learn what we can about his movements out here!”
Landis went to the garage and discovered that a grateful Harley had done everything except re-upholster his car. ”

“ The struggle was not long, but they fought as men do who know that but one man shall live when the combat be done. Twice the pick descending almost struck the bared head of the white man; thrice his adversary forced him to the very water’s edge. Landis knew he was fighting for his life, and he watched his opportunity. It came. Eluding that rain of death-meant blows, he caught the Indian close to him, and with a quick movement flung the pick far out into the river. [89] Then they clinched in the final struggle for life that to the white man or the brown man is equally dear. ”

“ On Monday he stayed here in town, took two hours for lunch, went back to the office and home at the usual time. Nobody here saw him on Saturday at all.”
“My yarn is longer and more interesting,” said Landis.
“Spin it, then. Every dog barks in his own yard!”
With a laugh, Landis plunged into his story. He had obtained Cuddy’s address and a brief description of him from the post office where he sometimes called for his mail. The station master at Great Neck had sold Cuddy a return trip to New York on Friday morning and seen him depart at once. ”

“ A bareheaded, vilely dirty and ragged old man—how old no one might be able to say. As his bleared eyes found the skeleton heap, he shrieked forth in the Indian tongue something (though Landis knew no word of what he might say) that sent a chill over him of prescient knowledge of what was to come. He turned his back on the old man, and addressed himself to Nick. ”

“ Murder is so sordid and so—so damned stupid!”
“Agreed,” Landis smiled. “But there’s a difference between suspecting everyone and condemning everyone unheard! Most of us avoid the last, I guess.”
The sound of voices drew their eyes to the passage through which Miss Mount and Bernard were returning. Landis waited for them to draw nearer, then addressed the angry but stoical hostess of the Harrison ménage:
“Thanks for showing us round, Miss Mount. Now I wonder whether you’d mind waiting here with Mr. Graham for just a minute while we glance through the butler’s suite. We won’t keep you long.” ”

“ Landis was “in” Society! And moreover, she spent nearly as much upon her clothes as Miss Yvette, and the clothes were quite as conspicuous; and if the papers did not print pages about them, it was not because Mrs. Landis was not perfectly willing. She was painted and made up quite as frankly as any chorus-girl on the stage. She laughed a great deal, and in a high key, and she and her friends told stories which made Montague wish to move out of the way.
Mrs. Landis had for some reason taken a fancy to Alice, and invited her home to lunch with her twice during the show. ”

“ Landis asked him.
“It’s hard to say. Somebody might come down early and play a bit.”
“If they didn’t, it would be just as easy for anybody to get to this end of the library from outside the house altogether! The door into the sunken garden wasn’t locked, unless someone has unlocked it since the murder.”
“It probably wouldn’t be locked before dinner,” Graham told them.
Landis nodded and led his companions into the library where they found Sergeant Forbes still on guard by the Japanese armor and the doctor pacing slowly up and down in front of the fire. ”

“ Landis, ‘Mother of my knight, I salute you!’ I know she’ll be surprised. Mebbe I might tell her just how brave her Martin is and how I made him a knight. She’ll be glad. It must be a satisfaction to have a boy a knight.” She smiled in happy anticipation of the wonderful message she was going to bring Mrs. Landis. Then she replaced the rhubarb parasol over her head, picked up the basket, and went down the country road to the Landis farm. ”

“ So, after all, it wasn’t Holliwell below and the check-book would not be needed. “Pierre Landis, of Wyoming.” Jasper went down the stairs and on the way he remembered a letter received from Yarnall a long time before. He remembered it with an accession of alarm. “I’ve probably let hell loose for your protégée, Jane; given your address, and incidentally hers, to a fellow who wants her pretty badly. His name’s Pierre Landis. You’re a pretty good judge of white men. Size him up and do what’s best for Jane.” ”

“ Bernard stared, then nodded slowly.
“Thank you, Stimson,” said Landis. “Now replace the two bows and the quiver where you found them and wait for us in the kitchen a while longer, if you don’t mind. We may need you again. Much obliged.”
“Certainly, sir!” Stimson moved with dignity to the back stairs. They watched him out of sight. Bernard surprised Landis.
“A queer customer but an honest man,” he said. “There’s venom in our butler. But it’s all for Harrison. He can’t help us much. I’d like to know who planted that bit of feather in his livery. So would he!” ”

“ On that note they left her. Landis knew that her contempt had not been directed at him. Yet he was rather red about the gills as he followed Bernard through the billiard-room and the wing hall.
“A woman of strong emotions,” murmured Bernard dryly as they stepped outdoors and headed toward the garage.
Harley had their car ready for them and their joint bag stowed away in the back. With Landis at the wheel, they crunched around the house and down the gravel drive, pulling aside near the gate to admit the ambulance. ”

“ Miss Landis buys the collar and a ticket for London; Ismay buys a ticket for London; I trail. Then Miss Landis makes another purchase—a razor, in a shop near the hotel where I happen to be loafing.”
“A razor!”
“That’s the way it struck me, too.... Scene Two: Cockspur Street, London. I’m not sure what boat Miss Landis means to take; I’ve got a notion it’s the Autocratic, but I’m stalling till I know. You drift into the office, I recognise you and recall that you’re pretty thick with Miss Landis. Nothing more natural than that you and she should go home by the same steamer. Similarly—Ismay.... ”

“ Bernard demanded suddenly.
Miss Mount smiled a wintry smile.
“Most of his correspondence consisted of writing checks and enclosing them in envelopes,” she said. “He wrote very briefly and in long hand, as a rule. When there was a longer letter or a document to be written, I typed it for him.”
“All right,” nodded Bernard. “Now for the wing.”
“There you are, Mr. Brent,” Landis smiled. “Sorry to delay you!”
Brent became genial.
“Not at all, Mr. Landis! One can only admire a man for doing his duty!” ”

“ Mary Wilson eyed her suspiciously. She sighed. “Landis believes that we are what we make people believe we are. You would make a capital actress, Landis. The only fault you have is that you would always be playing to the gallery.”
Her hearers laughed, accepting the remark as a bit of pleasant chatter. Mary did not fully grasp how much truth her remarks contained. Landis alone appreciated the words. Her face flushed and she 331 turned her head aside for an instant that the girls might not see she was hurt. ”

“ Brent,” said Landis.
“Good night, to you. ’Night, Graham!” Brent ambled to the door whence was wafted back to them, explosive but muffled, a single word: “Insufferable!”
After a moment they heard the front door slam behind him and Bernard smiled a little.
Negligently holding the card by its edges between finger and thumb, Landis looked uncertainly at Graham. The young lawyer caught the glance and instantly translated it.
“Want me to go?” he asked.
Landis hesitated.
“Fact is,” he smiled, “the servants will speak more freely if there are as few people as possible present. Mrs. ”

“ Miss Mount?”
Landis sat back in his chair.
“Here’s what we’ve found,” he said. “You can judge for yourself. Maybe you can help us.”
Methodically he passed in review the chain of evidence he had assembled against Miss Mount, stating only the facts and omitting the question of motive. Graham listened, a shrinking fascination on his sensitive face. When Landis had finished he leaned back on his pillows with an obvious effort at composure.
“But why?” he demanded huskily. “Why should she kill Harrison after all these years? What possible reason could she have for trying to kill me? ”