people nowadays! Playing at being married, that’s what. It’s easy divorce that does it.
“Now you sit right down there, young man, and tell me what’s going on. Who’s sick, and what’re the police doing there? I’d of been over long ago, but it’s no more’n a month or so since she says to me snippylike, ‘I’ll tell you why I keep my living-room curtains drawn, Mrs. Peabody. Because I like a little privacy in my own house, that’s why.’ As if I cared a whit what she does in her own house, and it’s not my fault our houses happen to be built so my window is right opposite hers with no more’n the driveway between us. A body can’t help glancing out her own window now and then. Not if you’re neighborly the way I’ve always been.
“‘Oh, you needn’t try to pull the wool over my eyes, Mrs. Jackson,’ I told her right off. ‘It’s just when that other newspaper reporter comes visiting you while your husband’s not home that you’re ashamed to have anybody see in. And him ’most old enough to be your father,’ I told her right out. I’d of given her a real piece of my mind if she hadn’t slammed the door shut right in my face. I’ll tell you right now I haven’t set foot on her porch since that day and don’t expect to without I’m straight out invited.”
“I’m sure you’ve been a good neighbor, Mrs. Peabody,” Shayne broke in when she stopped to catch her breath.
He started to get up, but she commanded, “No you don’t, young man. You stay right here and tell me what’s going on. I’ll not rest easy until I know. He was there yesterday afternoon. Walking up brazen as you please at six minutes after three o’clock, and Mr. Jackson never home till six or after. Some people think things like that don’t get noticed in the daytime, but land sakes! I always say there’s just as much sinning goes on in the daytime as at night, and nobody can pull the wool over my eyes that way.”
Shayne settled back, suppressing a grin. “What time did this reporter leave, Mrs. Peabody?”
“They went out together at twenty-five minutes of six,” she told him triumphantly. “I made special note of the time because I was watching to see did Mr. Jackson come home early and catch him there. He did once,” she continued, hitching her chair closer and lowering her voice to a confidential tone. “Almost a month ago it was, and there was all manner of a row. After he left, the two of ’em went at it hammer and tongs till almost midnight. A body can hear a lot goes on over there if you leave the window up and sit right close to it. Now I want to know who’s sick—or what. I didn’t hear anything last night after he finally did come home, and drunk as a hooty owl, too. At nine minutes after ten, but then you never do know, do you, and I always say—”
“Do you mean to say that Bert Jackson came home at ten o’clock?” Shayne cut in sharply. “Was Mrs. Jackson home?”
“She was home all right. After leaving with that man, like I said, she came back alone at six-fifteen in a taxi and kept it waiting outside while she went in the house for a few minutes. Then she came back at ten of seven and didn’t stir out again.”
Shayne pressed four fingers of a hand against his wide mouth to hide his mirth at the definite timetable. He asked, “How can you be sure she didn’t go out?”
“With me sitting right here by the window every minute of the time watching out?” she said scornfully. “There’s a street lamp lights their front walk at night bright as day ’most.”
“Isn’t there a back door?” he persisted.
“It doesn’t go anywhere except to their garage, and they don’t have a car. Isn’t even an alley they can get to. What are you trying to make out, young man? Does he claim she wasn’t in when he came in staggering all over the walk? And you haven’t told me yet what the trouble is.”
“Bert Jackson was killed last night,” Shayne told her, “and Mrs. Jackson
“Now you sit right down there, young man, and tell me what’s going on. Who’s sick, and what’re the police doing there? I’d of been over long ago, but it’s no more’n a month or so since she says to me snippylike, ‘I’ll tell you why I keep my living-room curtains drawn, Mrs. Peabody. Because I like a little privacy in my own house, that’s why.’ As if I cared a whit what she does in her own house, and it’s not my fault our houses happen to be built so my window is right opposite hers with no more’n the driveway between us. A body can’t help glancing out her own window now and then. Not if you’re neighborly the way I’ve always been.
“‘Oh, you needn’t try to pull the wool over my eyes, Mrs. Jackson,’ I told her right off. ‘It’s just when that other newspaper reporter comes visiting you while your husband’s not home that you’re ashamed to have anybody see in. And him ’most old enough to be your father,’ I told her right out. I’d of given her a real piece of my mind if she hadn’t slammed the door shut right in my face. I’ll tell you right now I haven’t set foot on her porch since that day and don’t expect to without I’m straight out invited.”
“I’m sure you’ve been a good neighbor, Mrs. Peabody,” Shayne broke in when she stopped to catch her breath.
He started to get up, but she commanded, “No you don’t, young man. You stay right here and tell me what’s going on. I’ll not rest easy until I know. He was there yesterday afternoon. Walking up brazen as you please at six minutes after three o’clock, and Mr. Jackson never home till six or after. Some people think things like that don’t get noticed in the daytime, but land sakes! I always say there’s just as much sinning goes on in the daytime as at night, and nobody can pull the wool over my eyes that way.”
Shayne settled back, suppressing a grin. “What time did this reporter leave, Mrs. Peabody?”
“They went out together at twenty-five minutes of six,” she told him triumphantly. “I made special note of the time because I was watching to see did Mr. Jackson come home early and catch him there. He did once,” she continued, hitching her chair closer and lowering her voice to a confidential tone. “Almost a month ago it was, and there was all manner of a row. After he left, the two of ’em went at it hammer and tongs till almost midnight. A body can hear a lot goes on over there if you leave the window up and sit right close to it. Now I want to know who’s sick—or what. I didn’t hear anything last night after he finally did come home, and drunk as a hooty owl, too. At nine minutes after ten, but then you never do know, do you, and I always say—”
“Do you mean to say that Bert Jackson came home at ten o’clock?” Shayne cut in sharply. “Was Mrs. Jackson home?”
“She was home all right. After leaving with that man, like I said, she came back alone at six-fifteen in a taxi and kept it waiting outside while she went in the house for a few minutes. Then she came back at ten of seven and didn’t stir out again.”
Shayne pressed four fingers of a hand against his wide mouth to hide his mirth at the definite timetable. He asked, “How can you be sure she didn’t go out?”
“With me sitting right here by the window every minute of the time watching out?” she said scornfully. “There’s a street lamp lights their front walk at night bright as day ’most.”
“Isn’t there a back door?” he persisted.
“It doesn’t go anywhere except to their garage, and they don’t have a car. Isn’t even an alley they can get to. What are you trying to make out, young man? Does he claim she wasn’t in when he came in staggering all over the walk? And you haven’t told me yet what the trouble is.”
“Bert Jackson was killed last night,” Shayne told her, “and Mrs. Jackson
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