The Bamboo Blonde (29 page)

Kew's eyes were dark, his voice curiously shaken, "Dare, you knew she was the murderer? You knew it when you asked her to stay with you?"

She laughed patiently. "But of course, darling. That's why I invited her. You didn't think I wanted her company, did you?" Her face was sober. "I wanted her where I could keep an eye on her."

"She might have killed you."

"I was careful not to have lethal weapons lying about. And I was going to bolt my doors and windows tonight."

Con said, "My God, Dare, why didn't you tell me she was the one? I had everyone from Griselda to the Fuehrer on my list, particularly Kew."

"I gave you plenty of hints."

"You thought you did."

"All right." She tossed her seal brown head. "I didn't want to worry you with a minor matter. I could handle Kathie. You had enough on your mind with Mannie and the major, and worrying that something might happen to Griselda."

Griselda said to Con, "Kew was taking care of me. But you didn't like that."

"I thought Kew was on the wrong side. He'd seen too much of Pembrooke in Washington. I was sure of it when he was throwing Kathie to the lion at Catalina."

Kew said, "I pointed Kathie up that night so you'd know she was in danger. I tried to tell Griselda all along what I was up to—without putting myself in a spot—but I don't know if I got it across." He admitted, "I didn't trust you at first, Con. You lied to me the first day about taking Shelley to Saam's. I'd have seen you if you had. I didn't even trust Dare."

Dare said, "Nor I you. That's why I forced the issue after Sergei's death. If you had made a mistake, I wasn't going to let you continue in it." She tried to laugh. "I was going to save you in spite of yourself."

His eyes were on her. "I never knew I had guts until that night I told you the whole mess. I thought it would mean curtains for me with you but there had been compulsion in me all along to tell you. The worst as well as the best."

"For better or for worst," Con said.

"Yes." But Dare was solemn.

Con turned to Griselda. "Well. I was wrong, baby, usually am. But I thought Kew was hanging onto you to get dope on me."

Kew broke in, "I was. I had to get to you before you started running around loose again. Albert George was going to kill you. He'd figured even if you didn't know it all, you knew too much. And I didn't know but what he might strike through Griselda. The safest bet was to stick with her. You'd come to her when you could. Dare didn't tell me she was in touch with you."

She said, "I couldn't. I was pledged on that. And I actually wasn't. Con came to me but I didn't know where he was."

"It wasn't safe for anyone to know, except Chang. He likes me. He'd cut folks up into little pieces for me. Anyone else might give it away by error, or compulsion."

Griselda wanted all the loose ends tied. Then the others could go and leave her with Con again. She asked Dare, "How did you happen to find Walker Travis?"

Dare said, "I want a drink first." Con gathered the glasses.

Kew employed the interlude. "You'll marry me now, won't you? Don't you think I've waited long enough?"

Dare began to tally years on her fingers. She spoke flippantly, "You need someone to take care of you, keep you on the right side of things."

"You'll have to give up your career."

"Good Lord, you don't think I'd make a career of matching thread, do you, darling? That was Garth's bright idea when Con sent me to him this spring, a way to put me in with the Navy where the secret agents were boring. You see I was already on the ground before Albert George met the Admiral."

He kept his voice steady, "I don't exactly like that career. You might get hurt. Maybe you could train me to take your place with Garth."

Griselda whispered, "Don't let him do it, Dare." He was too brave, recklessly brave as Con was. Women couldn't rest and their men in danger.

Con handed the glasses around. "Let's get back to Walker Travis. I suppose the omniscient Mrs. Crandall guessed right off that Kathie had struck again. He couldn't have left Huntington Beach with her that night. Someone would have seen him return to the hotel. The car had sped away before the guards were aware. In the heavy mist they couldn't know if two persons were in it. Whatever had happened to him, it happened before Kathie raced back to the hotel. No wonder she was hysterical the next day. She didn't know where he was or what he would say."

"Walker told me the whole story when I found him," said Dare.

"Where did you find him?"

"Walking back from his ride. Skulking along the beach, afraid she might be cruising the highway looking for him. He'd hidden out all day. Didn't have the nerve to ask to phone anywhere looking as he did. And he didn't dare go back to their cottage; he didn't know but she might be there waiting for him. He was plenty scared of her; he saw it clear then. He'd missed a gun from his collection—all Service men collect guns. He remembered he'd been asking her about that, if she'd seen it. She probably thought he suspected her too. Although he didn't until he nipped out the window and ran for it."

Con asked, "How did you know where to look for him?"

"I did have a hunch there. After I'd examined their cottage and the near ones, I found where he'd hidden under a porch until she left. I drove back and started walking from this end. I found him, and believe me, he was glad to see me. He was about done in." She shook her head. "Con, she'll deny everything and there's no proof. Can they hold her?"

"She'll break." Con's mouth was grim. "If she doesn't, the wheel of Mannie's launch is going to show up in court with her fingerprints all over it."

He looked at Griselda and then at the others. "Why don't you two run along to Yuma and get married tonight? No, Griselda and I are going to bed, but they keep witnesses on order. You'd better do it before you remember to start fighting again."

Dare stood up. "We'll get out of here anyway. See you tomorrow."

Con walked up to her. They looked at each other in silence. He ordered. "Don't come back without a ring on your finger." And then he bent suddenly and kissed her. "Thanks for everything, angel."

He stood at the door watching until they were gone. Griselda wondered if there were regret in him mingling with satisfaction of a good deed done.

He was yawning when he returned to the couch. "Well, I'm home, baby. With the home fires burning."

"What next?" she asked lightly. "Now we'll have a honeymoon." He traced the shape of her face with his forefinger. "I wish I'd been here when the major barged in tonight. I'd have killed him."

"No." She moved close to him. "No. I'm glad you didn't come. You wouldn't have had a chance." She wouldn't think of that again. "Con, were you looking for Shelley that first night at the Bamboo?"

"I wasn't. I knew she was in town. Dare had told me that. But I hadn't ever laid eyes on her. I didn't see Pembrooke there and I didn't connect Kew with her. I'd heard of Kew and Kathie—she was searching for him that same night, of course, not for her husband—but not Kew and Shelley. I knew he was playing a dangerous game. I didn't trust him; that's why I didn't want him around where he might find out my business. And my poor Dare trying to whitewash him and keep him out of it until he could clear up his mistake."

He yawned again. "Think I'll have another little drink before we turn in."

She spoke out of habit. "You don't need it." He could have anything he wanted, tonight or any night. She'd never again question anything he did.

He began to pour it but wheeled suddenly. "Baby, I got a wonderful idea!"

She waited.

"Soon as this thing is in the bag, we'll go lo Niagara Falls and have a real honeymoon." At her lack of response, his enthusiasm faltered. "What do you say?"

She smiled. "I looove honeymoons." And then she laughed. "What does Barjon Garth want us to do there?"

THE END