The Blue Movie Murders by Ellery Queen Page B

a lance against small rings that served as targets. Since most of the young lancers were right-handed, the carousels were turned in a counterclockwise direction by their servants.”
    He chuckled and put down his glass. “That may be the clue that’ll crack this whole case.”
    Then he went to bed with her.
    In the morning he remembered that he hadn’t called Governor Holland to report on his conversation with Xavier Mann. But he decided it might be better to wait until he’d had an opportunity to confront Mann’s wife. Instead of reaching for the phone he walked to the window and stretched cat-like in the morning air, filling his lungs with the sweet scent of spring.
    â€œAre you trying to freeze me out?” April complained from the bed, snuggling back under the covers.
    â€œDon’t you know it’s spring?” he answered with a grin. But he closed the window and started to dress. They were on the second floor. The rooms occupied by Sloane and his secretary in the other wing had also been on this floor. The killer could hardly have entered through the window of Sloane’s room, so that left only the door. And, as Miss Walsh had told him, that meant Sloane had known or at least expected the person who killed him. He glanced towards the door, trying to imagine what circumstances would have caused him to open it before eight in the morning.
    â€œWhat are you thinking about?” April asked, finally venturing out of the rumpled bed.
    â€œSloane’s murder.”
    â€œGod! You really keep your mind on your job, don’t you?”
    â€œMost of the time.”
    â€œWell? With all that thought you should know who killed him.”
    â€œBut I don’t.” He pondered another moment. “How about you?”
    She shrugged. “Probably a man. He was wearing his robe over pyjamas. Wouldn’t he have got dressed if he was expecting a lady visitor?”
    â€œNot if they were lovers.”
    â€œGod, Mike! He was an old man!”
    â€œNot that old.” He thought about it while he dressed. “April, why does a man take his secretary with him on a business trip?”
    â€œOnly two reasons—either they’re lovers or he has work for her to do.”
    â€œThat’s the way I see it.”
    â€œYou think this Suzanne Walsh—”
    â€œI don’t know. There’s a big difference in their ages, and she seems more the spinster type. But—could be.”
    â€œDoes she have any idea who killed him?”
    â€œI think she figures it was Dahlman, trying to cover his tracks for some reason. After all, that’s what brought Sloane to Rockview.”
    â€œYou said last night that you saw the film.”
    â€œDid I say that?”
    She nodded. “In one of your more passionate moments you even compared me with the girl in The Wild Nymph .”
    He grinned and bent in front of the mirror, brushing back his cowlick. “There are similarities.”
    â€œSo what else was in the movie? Any clues to Dahlman’s identity?”
    â€œNot a thing. But it was filmed around here. The interiors at Mann’s plant, apparently, and the rest of it out in the woods.”
    â€œTwenty years ago. That’s a long time.”
    â€œA long time. I wonder—”
    The telephone interrupted him, and he glanced automatically at his watch. It was just after nine o’clock, and he knew this would be Governor Holland again, wanting a progress report.
    But he was wrong. The voice on the other end sounded sleepy and far away. “Mike, this is Parker, out in L.A.”
    â€œParker! Isn’t it still the middle of the night out there?”
    â€œDamn right it is! But I wanted you to know I’ve been working for you.”
    â€œYou’ve got the information?”
    â€œI’ve got it. The newspapers and trade press kept pretty close track of him in those days. I’m mailing you a full report, but I