The D.A. Breaks an Egg

“Ah, yes, I keep forgetting. And yet it really becomes you. I understand you had some distinct success in counterespionage during the war. Your adventures would make interesting...”

“We were talking about your visit here,” Selby interrupted.

“Yes, yes. Pardon me if I digress, Counselor. Well, as I was saying, this is purely a social visit. The room is occupied by a Miss Daphne Arcola, of Windrift, Montana.”

“So we understand,” Selby said.

“And, as it happens,” Carr said, “she is a friend of my wife.”

There was a moment of significant silence.

“Your wife!” Brandon exclaimed.

Carr’s eyes were cold as he sized the sheriff up. “My wife,” he repeated. “Mrs. Alfonse Baker Carr.”

“Whom you married,” Brandon said, hotly, “so that...” He stopped as he felt Selby’s fingers digging into his arm.

“Yes?” Carr prompted.

The sheriff remained silent.

“Whom I married legally,” Carr said. “She is my wife, Sheriff, and as such entitled to respect. Kindly remember that.”

“I’ll remember a lot of things,” Brandon told him.

“That, of course, is your privilege, Sheriff. And now, gentlemen, I take it that I have explained the purpose of my visit, and in view of the circumstances, I think I’m entitled to an explanation of your visit.”

“Do you know this Daphne Arcola by sight?” Selby asked.

“No. She’s my wife’s friend. I’ve never seen her.”

“Did she know you were coming here?”

“I’m sure I can’t say.”

“It’s late for a social call.”

“That’s largely relative. We’re night owls at our house.”

Selby said, “The police found the body of a young woman in the park. She had been stabbed. We have reason to believe the body is that of the woman who rented this room.”

Carr’s face hardened. “Stabbed?”

“Yes.”

“That, gentlemen, is a shame, a damned shame.”

“Naturally,” Selby said, “we want to apprehend the murderer.”

“So I gather.”

“Under the circumstances, we are naturally interested in finding out everything we can about this young woman’s background.”

“Indeed yes,” Carr said, gravely.

“Therefore...” Selby said, and paused significantly.

“As I have explained to you,” Carr said, “the young woman is, or was, the friend of Mrs. Carr.”

“Has your wife known Miss Arcola for a long time?” Selby asked.

Carr turned to Selby. This time there was no mistaking the twinkle in his eyes. “Frankly, Counselor, I don’t know. I have never asked her about her past connections. As you may have gathered, gentlemen, I don’t believe in long courtships.”

The ghost of a smile twisted the corners of Carr’s mouth.

“And how did you happen to come here?” Selby asked.

“Miss Arcola telephoned and left word for Mrs. Carr, who was out at the time, that she was in town and was staying here at the Madison Hotel in Room 602.”

“And so you came up here?”

“I had other business uptown. Mrs. Carr suggested that I run up here when I had finished.”

“At this hour?”

Carr stroked the angle of his chin. “As I’ve explained, we’re night owls at our place. However, the business took longer than I had anticipated.”

Selby said affably, “Well, if you are night owls, it probably won’t inconvenience Mrs. Carr if we drive out there right now and talk to her.”

Carr got to his feet. “She’ll be only too glad to have you, gentlemen. Also, I have a recipe for a very delicious hot buttered rum, something extra special, and I happen to have some seventy-year-old rum. I’ll be glad to welcome you.”

Carr got up and started for the door.

“Just a minute,” Brandon said. “We can all go out there together.”

Carr showed surprise. “My dear Sheriff,” he said.

“And in that way,” Brandon blurted, “you won’t have a chance to coach your wife on what to say.”

Carr’s face darkened. “Sheriff,” he said, ominously, “you insist upon treating me as a criminal. I was perfectly willing to drive out there with you, but I want you to understand I am under no compulsion to do so, and you have no right to order my affairs. I’ll go and come as I damn please until such time as I am placed under formal arrest upon some definite charge. I have my own car here, and I intend to drive it home.

“Unfortunately, your official duties apparently necessitate a visit to my house. May I suggest, gentlemen, that you’ll be more efficient if you try to be affable, and that it will be much easier for me to extend a reasonable hospitality if you treat me as a citizen and not as a criminal?”

Brandon, on his feet, said, “I could send for your wife to come to my office for questioning.”

“You could indeed,” Carr said, “and she would be only too glad to come, sometime after nine o’clock in the morning. Is that the way you’d like to have it, Sheriff?”

“We’ll go out to your house, Carr,” Selby said. “It’ll be a pleasure to sample your hot buttered rum.”

“Thank you, Major,” Carr said, bowing. “We’ll be glad to have you.” And then, turning to the sheriff, he added, significantly, “Both of you.”

And Carr strode out through the door of the hotel room into the corridor.