Read Inspector Queen’s Own Case for Free Online Page B

walking across?” His voice was sulky.
    â€œNo, I’m just out for some air. What’s the matter, Mr. Peterson? You sound sour on the world.”
    â€œYou’d think I’d had a picnic this weekend,” the guard grumbled, unbending. “You know how many cars came through here last night? And then they want me to remember who went in and out!”
    â€œThat’s a shame,” Jessie said sympathetically. “With all that outbound traffic, I wouldn’t have blamed you if you’d simply left the gate open all night.”
    â€œThat’s what I did, Miss Sherwood.”
    â€œEven at two in the morning, I suppose.”
    â€œSure. Why not? How was I to know?”
    â€œWell, of course. And by that time you must have been darn tired. Were you sitting in the gatehouse, resting?”
    â€œI’ll say!”
    â€œSo of course you didn’t see the car that drove in some time after midnight and left around 2 A . M .”
    Peterson scowled. “I saw the back of it.”
    Jessie drew a long breath in the perfumed moonlight. “I’ll bet it was a car you knew, and that’s why you didn’t stop him.”
    â€œSomething like that. I didn’t see his face, but him and the car looked familiar.”
    â€œWhat kind of car was it, Mr. Peterson?”
    â€œForeign job. A Jaguar.”
    â€œI see.” Jessie’s heart was beating faster.
    â€œLike the one run by Mr. Humffrey’s nephew—what’s-his-name—Mr. Frost. Matter of fact,” the guard said, “I thought it was Frost. He’d been off and on the Island all weekend.”
    â€œOh, then you’re not sure.”
    The guard said uncomfortably, “I can’t swear to it.”
    â€œWell.” Jessie smiled at him. “Don’t you worry about it, Mr. Peterson. I’m sure you do your job as well as anyone could expect.”
    â€œYou can say that again!”
    â€œGood night.”
    â€œGood night, Miss Sherwood,” Peterson said warmly.
    He went back into the gatehouse, and Jessie began to retrace her steps, frowning.
    â€œNice going,” a man’s voice said.
    Jessie’s heart flopped. But then she saw who it was.
    â€œMr. Queen,” she cried. “What are you doing here?”
    He was in the roadway before her, spare and neat in a Palm Beach suit, looking amused.
    â€œSame thing you are, only I beat you to it. Playing detective, Miss Sherwood?” He chuckled and took her arm. “Suppose I walk you back.”
    Jessie nodded a little stiffly, and they began to stroll along beside high fieldstone walls clothed in ivy and rambler roses, with the moon like a cheddar cheese overhead and the salty sweet air in their nostrils. How long is it, she wondered, since I last took a moonlight stroll with a man holding my arm? The last one had been Clem, on leave before shipping out …
    The old man said suddenly, “Did you suspect Ron Frost all along?”
    â€œWhy are you so interested?” Jessie murmured.
    â€œLet’s say I don’t like cases involving nursery windows.” He sounded gruff. “And if I can lend a hand to Abe Pearl …”
    Some tireless patriot out at sea sent up a Roman candle. They stopped to watch the burst and drip of fireballs. For a few seconds the Island brightened. Then the darkness closed in again.
    She felt his restless movement. It was like a dash of cold sea.
    â€œI’d better be getting back,” Jessie said matter-of-factly, and they walked on. “About your question, Mr. Queen. I suppose I shouldn’t be saying this while I’m taking the Humffreys’ money, but I like threats to babies even less than you do. Ronald Frost quarreled with Mr. Humffrey over Michael yesterday.” And she told him what she had overheard from the nursery.
    â€œSo Frost expected to be his uncle’s heir, and now he figures the baby’s queered his act,”