The King is Dead by Ellery Queen Page B

typewriter?’
    The black eyes dulled even more. And the fine hands on the desk top trembled a little. But when the big man spoke, it was in a low voice.
    â€˜Abel …’
    Then his control broke. The fine hand became a club, smashing the air. ‘ Get rid of this lunatic!’
    Abel hurried around the desk to whisper into his brother’s crimson ear …
    As Abel whispered, the crimson began to fade and the big fist came undone. Finally King nodded shortly, and his black eyes looked Ellery over once more.
    Abel straightened up. ‘We don’t have such information at our fingertips, Mr. Queen.’ There was something secretive and yet amused in his unhurried twang. ‘I can tell you that all the typewriting machines in the Home Office are electrics, standard in size and weight; we use no portables in this building at all. There may be some, of course, elsewhere on the island, in the personal possession of employees —’
    â€˜If you can’t give me any more concrete information than that,’ said Ellery, ‘I want permission to search the private apartments of the Residence. Specifically, the Bendigo living-quarters.’ He added brutally, looking Abel in the eye, ‘Nothing like starting in the feedbox, Abel, is there?’
    Abel blinked. He blinked very rapidly indeed, and he kept blinking.
    That’s where I’ll find it, thought Ellery.
    King Bendigo snapped, ‘All right, Queen, you have our permission. Now get out, before I let Max’l boot you out.’
    Ellery picked his father up in their suite.
    â€˜I made myself as obnoxious as possible,’ he concluded his recital of his adventures in the Home Office, ‘and I made one discovery, Dad — no, two.’
    â€˜I know the first,’ grunted his father. ‘That you were born with the luck of the leprechaun.’
    â€˜We’ll find the murderous portable somewhere in the Bendigo living-quarters,’ said Ellery. ‘That’s one. The other is that King is an even more dangerous man than I thought. He has not only the power of a tyrant, but a tyrant’s whims as well. And he’ll become more whimsical when he recognizes power in others. It’s a trait I don’t trust. Let’s see if Abel’s carried out his lord’s command.’
    Abel had. They were not stopped by the guards. The officer in charge looked pained, but he saluted and stepped aside without a word.
    Each member of the family had a private suite, and the Queens searched them in turn. There was no sign of a machine in Karla Bendigo’s suite, and no sign of Karla. They found a typewriter in the King’s study, and one in Abel’s, but these were standard machines of a different make. They were approaching Judah’s quarters when Ellery noticed for the first time, across the corridor from Judah’s door, a large and massive-looking door of a design different from any he had seen in the Residence. He tried it. It was locked. He rapped on it. He whistled.
    â€˜Steel,’ he said to his father. ‘I wonder what’s in here.’
    â€˜Let’s find out,’ said the Inspector, and he went for the officer in charge.
    â€˜This is the Confidential Room, sir,’ said the officer. ‘For the use of the King only, and of whoever’s helping him. Usually it’s Mr. Abel.’
    â€˜Where the deeper skulduggery is planned, hm?’ said Ellery. ‘Open it, please, Captain.’
    â€˜Sorry, sir. No one may enter this room except by special permission.’
    â€˜Well, you’ve got your orders. I’ve been granted special permission.’
    â€˜Nothing was said about the Confidential Room, sir,’ said the officer.
    â€˜Then get something said.’
    â€˜One moment, sir.’
    The officer strode away.
    The Queens waited.
    â€˜Confidential Room,’ grunted the Inspector. ‘Fat chance we have to get in there. I suppose that’s