Margo?”
“About ten o’clock. We’d had such a perfect evening until Henri came. Margo was bubbling over about you, and Evalyn was so happy—I suppose because she thought Henri would be coming back to her. It was like things used to be—before Henri and Margo met.”
“Who,” asked Shayne, “is Henri?”
“Henri Desmond. Why—” A thoughtful light came into her eyes and she drew her breath in sharply. “Don’t the police know about him?”
“Not that I’ve heard, but I’d be delighted to get hold of another suspect,” Shayne said.
“Henri could have done it,” she said doubtfully.
“Where does this Henri live?”
“Why, I don’t know, but I’m sure Evalyn does. I’ll call her.” She started to get up.
Shayne stopped her. “Wait,” he said. “Let’s get this straight first. You say Henri came to Margo’s apartment? What time was that?”
“Just a few minutes before ten. I remember because the phone had rung about nine forty-five. Margo talked to someone—you, I guess, and told us she had a date at ten-fifteen and we’d have to leave.” She laughed, her eyes bright with remembering, and said, “I scolded Margo about having an assignation with a redheaded stranger at that hour. Though I was glad for her,” she went on earnestly. “I’ve often told her that she needed to have an affair. A real one—and decent, of course. I honestly believe she was a virgin,” she ended pensively.
“Let’s get back to tonight,” Shayne said firmly. “Margo received a phone call at nine forty-five, you say? She didn’t tell you from whom, but intimated some man was coming in thirty minutes. Is that straight?”
“She didn’t actually say it was you who called. But she had been talking so much about you all evening, and she didn’t say it wasn’t. So I just supposed it was you.”
“And then Henri came?”
“Yes. It must have been about ten. Margo was terribly flustered when he knocked. I’m sure she thought it was you—ahead of time. She looked daggers at us for still being there when she went to the door. But it was only Henri.” Lucile sighed.
“What happened?”
“She didn’t ask Henri in. She talked to him in the hall, but the door was open a crack and Evalyn and I could hear them. She told him he’d have to go because she had this date with you, and he got awfully mad. He threatened her. He said he wouldn’t stand for any other man hanging around her.” She paused, then added thoughtfully, “I think it was only his pride—I’m sure he didn’t love Margo.”
“Then Henri went away?” Shayne probed.
“Yes. Evalyn was crying when Margo came back. She had heard it all, you see. Of course she knew about Henri and Margo, but I rather think she had pretended to herself that it wasn’t really serious. Then when she heard him talking like that—”
“Did Henri know Evalyn was there?” Shayne interrupted.
“No. I’m positive he didn’t or he wouldn’t have said what he did to Margo. You see, Evalyn has been supporting him for months, giving him money and letting him spend part of the time in her apartment. He wanted to hang on to Evalyn and try to have an affair with Margo.”
“Go ahead,” Shayne said patiently. “What happened then?”
“Henri’s coming spoiled our party. It was rather messy with Evalyn crying and all, so I came home.”
“And left Evalyn there—with Margo?”
“Yes. Margo was trying to convince her that there had never been anything serious between her and Henri and that everything was over. I thought they’d get things fixed up if I left them together.”
“Perhaps Margo and Evalyn quarreled after you left. Maybe Evalyn murdered her.”
Shayne watched her keenly, but her eyes were candid when she said hastily, “Oh, no! Evalyn wouldn’t—well, not when she’s—” She paused, and her face was troubled. Then she laughed lightly and said, “Not Evalyn.”
“You started to say something else,” Shayne said. “Not
“About ten o’clock. We’d had such a perfect evening until Henri came. Margo was bubbling over about you, and Evalyn was so happy—I suppose because she thought Henri would be coming back to her. It was like things used to be—before Henri and Margo met.”
“Who,” asked Shayne, “is Henri?”
“Henri Desmond. Why—” A thoughtful light came into her eyes and she drew her breath in sharply. “Don’t the police know about him?”
“Not that I’ve heard, but I’d be delighted to get hold of another suspect,” Shayne said.
“Henri could have done it,” she said doubtfully.
“Where does this Henri live?”
“Why, I don’t know, but I’m sure Evalyn does. I’ll call her.” She started to get up.
Shayne stopped her. “Wait,” he said. “Let’s get this straight first. You say Henri came to Margo’s apartment? What time was that?”
“Just a few minutes before ten. I remember because the phone had rung about nine forty-five. Margo talked to someone—you, I guess, and told us she had a date at ten-fifteen and we’d have to leave.” She laughed, her eyes bright with remembering, and said, “I scolded Margo about having an assignation with a redheaded stranger at that hour. Though I was glad for her,” she went on earnestly. “I’ve often told her that she needed to have an affair. A real one—and decent, of course. I honestly believe she was a virgin,” she ended pensively.
“Let’s get back to tonight,” Shayne said firmly. “Margo received a phone call at nine forty-five, you say? She didn’t tell you from whom, but intimated some man was coming in thirty minutes. Is that straight?”
“She didn’t actually say it was you who called. But she had been talking so much about you all evening, and she didn’t say it wasn’t. So I just supposed it was you.”
“And then Henri came?”
“Yes. It must have been about ten. Margo was terribly flustered when he knocked. I’m sure she thought it was you—ahead of time. She looked daggers at us for still being there when she went to the door. But it was only Henri.” Lucile sighed.
“What happened?”
“She didn’t ask Henri in. She talked to him in the hall, but the door was open a crack and Evalyn and I could hear them. She told him he’d have to go because she had this date with you, and he got awfully mad. He threatened her. He said he wouldn’t stand for any other man hanging around her.” She paused, then added thoughtfully, “I think it was only his pride—I’m sure he didn’t love Margo.”
“Then Henri went away?” Shayne probed.
“Yes. Evalyn was crying when Margo came back. She had heard it all, you see. Of course she knew about Henri and Margo, but I rather think she had pretended to herself that it wasn’t really serious. Then when she heard him talking like that—”
“Did Henri know Evalyn was there?” Shayne interrupted.
“No. I’m positive he didn’t or he wouldn’t have said what he did to Margo. You see, Evalyn has been supporting him for months, giving him money and letting him spend part of the time in her apartment. He wanted to hang on to Evalyn and try to have an affair with Margo.”
“Go ahead,” Shayne said patiently. “What happened then?”
“Henri’s coming spoiled our party. It was rather messy with Evalyn crying and all, so I came home.”
“And left Evalyn there—with Margo?”
“Yes. Margo was trying to convince her that there had never been anything serious between her and Henri and that everything was over. I thought they’d get things fixed up if I left them together.”
“Perhaps Margo and Evalyn quarreled after you left. Maybe Evalyn murdered her.”
Shayne watched her keenly, but her eyes were candid when she said hastily, “Oh, no! Evalyn wouldn’t—well, not when she’s—” She paused, and her face was troubled. Then she laughed lightly and said, “Not Evalyn.”
“You started to say something else,” Shayne said. “Not
Similar Books
