X + 

Dead Flowers + 

I opened my eyes drowsily, decided that I had dozed off for only a moment, closed my eyes, drifted back into slumber, and then roused myself sluggishly again. Something wasnтАЩt right. + 

I forced my eyes open, then closed them, and opened them again. Whatever wasnтАЩt right had to do with that. Blackness was there when they were open and when they were closed. That should have been reasonable enough: the night was dark, and my windows were out of the street lightsтАЩ range. That should have been reasonable enough, but it wasnтАЩt: I remembered that I had left my door open, and the corridor lights had been on. Facing me was no pale rectangle of light framed by my doorway, with GabrielleтАЩs door showing through. + 

I was too awake by now to jump up suddenly. I held my breath and listened, hearing nothing but the tick of my wristwatch. Cautiously moving my hand, I looked at the luminous dialтБатАФ3:17. I had been asleep longer than I had supposed, and the corridor light had been put out. + 

My head was numb, my body stiff and heavy, and there was a bad taste in my mouth. I got out from under the blanket, and out of my chairs, moving awkwardly, my muscles stubborn. I crept on stockinged feet to the door, and bumped into the door. It had been closed. When I opened it the corridor light was burning as before. The air that came in from the corridor seemed surprisingly fresh, sharp, pure. + 

I turned my face back into the room, sniffing. There was an odor of flowers, faint, stuffy, more the odor of a closed place in which flowers had died than of flowers themselves. Lilies of the valley, moonflowers, perhaps another one or two. I spent time trying to divide the odor into its parts, seriously trying to determine whether a trace of honeysuckle was actually present. Then I vaguely remembered having dreamed of a funeral. Trying to recall exactly what I had dreamed, I leaned against the doorframe and let sleep come into me again. + 

The jerking up of my neck muscles when my head had sunk too low aroused me. I wrestled my eyes open, standing there on legs that werenтАЩt part of me, stupidly wondering why I didnтАЩt go to bed. While I drowsed over the idea that there might be some reason why I shouldnтАЩt sleep, if I could only think of it, I put a hand against the wall to steady myself. The hand touched the light button. I had sense enough to push it. + 

Light scorched my eyes. Squinting, I could see a world that was real to me, and could remember that I had work to do. I made for the bathroom, where cold water on head and face left me still stupid and muddled, but at least partly conscious. + 

I turned off my lights, crossed to GabrielleтАЩs door, listened, and heard nothing. I opened the door, stepped inside, and closed the door. My flashlight showed me an empty bed with covers thrown down across the foot. I put a hand in the hollow her body had made in the bedтБатАФcold. There was nobody in bathroom or dressing-alcove. Under the edge of the bed lay a pair of green mules, and a green dressing-gown, or something of the sort, was hanging over the back of a chair. + 

I went to my room for my shoes, and then walked down the front stairs, intending to go through the house from bottom to top. I would go silently first, and then, if, as was likely enough, I ran across nothing, I could start kicking in doors, turning people out of bed, and raising hell till I turned up the girl. I wanted to find her as soon as possible, but she had too long a start for a few minutes to make much difference now; so if I didnтАЩt waste any time, neither did I run. + 

I was halfway between the second and first floors when I saw something move belowтБатАФor, rather, saw the movement of something without actually seeing it. It moved from the direction of the street-door towards the interior of the house. I was looking towards the elevator at the time as I walked down the stairs. The banister shut off my view of the street-door. What I saw was a flash of movement across half a dozen of the spaces between the banisterтАЩs uprights. By the time I had brought my eyes into focus there, there was nothing to see. I thought I had seen a face, but thatтАЩs what anybody would have thought in my position, and all I had actually seen was the movement of something pale. + 

The lobby, and what I could see of the corridors, were vacant when I reached the ground-floor. I started towards the rear of the building, and stopped. I heard, for the first time since I had awakened, a noise that I hadnтАЩt made. A shoe-sole had scuffed on the stone steps the other side of the street-door. + 

I walked to the front door, got one hand on the bolt, the other hand on the latch, snapped them back together, and yanked the door open with my left hand, letting my right hang within a twist of my gun. + 

Eric Collinson stood on the top step. + 

тАЬWhat the hell are you doing here?тАЭ I asked sourly. + 

It was a long story, and he was too excited to make it a clear one. As nearly as I could untangle it from his words, he had been in the habit of phoning Doctor Riese daily for reports on GabrielleтАЩs progress. TodayтБатАФor rather yesterdayтБатАФand last night, he had failed to get the doctor on the wire. He had called up as late as two oтАЩclock this morning. Doctor Riese was not at home, he had been told, and none of the household knew where he was or why he was not at home. Collinson had then, after the two-oтАЩclock call, come to the neighborhood of the Temple, on the chance that he might see me and get some word of the girl. He hadnтАЩt intended, he said, coming to the door until he saw me looking out. + 

тАЬUntil you did what?тАЭ I asked. + 

тАЬSaw you.тАЭ + 

тАЬWhen?тАЭ + 

тАЬA minute ago, when you looked out.тАЭ + 

тАЬYou didnтАЩt see me,тАЭ I said. тАЬWhat did you see?тАЭ + 

тАЬSomebody looking out, peeping out. I thought it was you, and came up from the corner where I was sitting in the car. Is Gabrielle all right?тАЭ + 

тАЬSure,тАЭ I said. There was no use telling him I was hunting for her, and have him blow up on me. тАЬDonтАЩt talk so loud. RieseтАЩs people donтАЩt know where he is?тАЭ + 

тАЬNoтБатАФthey seem worried. But thatтАЩs all right if GabrielleтАЩs all right.тАЭ He put a hand on my upper arm. тАЬCouldтБатАФcould I see her? Just for a second? I wonтАЩt say anything. She neednтАЩt even know IтАЩve seen her. I donтАЩt mean nowтБатАФbut canтАЩt you arrange it?тАЭ + 

This bird was young, tall, strong, and perfectly willing to have himself broken into pieces for Gabrielle Leggett. I knew something was wrong. I didnтАЩt know what. I didnтАЩt know what I would have to do to make it right, and how much help I would need. I couldnтАЩt afford to turn him away. On the other hand, I couldnтАЩt give him the low-down on the racketтБатАФthat would have turned him into a wild man. I said: + 

тАЬCome in. IтАЩm on an inspection trip. You can go along if you keep quiet, and afterwards weтАЩll see what we can do.тАЭ + 

He came in, looking and acting as if I were St.┬аPeter letting him into Heaven. I closed the door and led him through the lobby, down the main corridor. So far as we could see we had the joint to ourselves. And then we didnтАЩt. + 

Gabrielle Leggett came around a corner just ahead of us. She was barefooted. Her only clothing was a yellow silk nightgown that was splashed with dark stains. In both hands, held out in front of her as she walked, she carried a large dagger, almost a sword. It was red and wet. Her hands and bare arms were red and wet. There was a dab of blood on one of her cheeks. Her eyes were clear, bright, and calm. Her small forehead was smooth, her mouth and chin firmly set. + 

She walked up to me, her untroubled gaze holding my probably troubled one, and said evenly, just as if she had expected to find me there, had come there to find me: + 

тАЬTake it. It is evidence. I killed him.тАЭ + 

I said: тАЬHuh?тАЭ + 

Still looking straight into my eyes, she said: + 

тАЬYou are a detective. Take me to where they will hang me.тАЭ + 

It was easier to move my hand than my tongue. I took the bloody dagger from her. It was a broad, thick-bladed weapon, double-edged, with a bronze hilt like a cross. + 

Eric Collinson pushed past me, babbling words that nobody could have made out, going for the girl with shaking outstretched hands. She shrank over against the wall, away from him, fear in her face. + 

тАЬDonтАЩt let him touch me,тАЭ she begged. + 

тАЬGabrielle,тАЭ he cried, reaching for her. + 

тАЬNo, no,тАЭ she panted. + 

I walked into his arms, my body between him and her, facing him, pressing him back with a hand against his chest, growling at him: тАЬBe still, you.тАЭ + 

He took my shoulders in his big brown hands and began pushing me out of the way. I got ready to rap him on the chin with the heavy bronze dagger hilt. But we didnтАЩt have to go that far: looking over me at the girl he forgot his intentions of forcing me out of his path, and his hands went loose on my shoulders. I leaned on the hand that I had on his chest, moving him back until he was against the wall; and then stepped away from him, a little to one side, so I could see both him and her facing each other from opposite walls. + 

тАЬBe still till we see whatтАЩs happened,тАЭ I told him, and turned to the girl, pointing the dagger at her. тАЬWhatтАЩs happened?тАЭ + 

She was calm again. + 

тАЬCome,тАЭ she said. тАЬIтАЩll show you. DonтАЩt let Eric come, please.тАЭ + 

тАЬHe wonтАЩt bother you,тАЭ I promised. + 

She nodded at that, gravely, and led us back down the corridor, around the corner, and up to a small iron door that stood ajar. She went through first. I followed her. Collinson was at my heels. Fresh air hit us when we went through the door. I looked up and saw dim stars in a dark sky. I looked down again. In the light that came through the open door behind us I saw that we were walking on a floor of white marble, or pentagonal tiles that imitated white marble. The place was dark except for the light from behind us. I took my flashlight out. + 

Walking unhurriedly on bare feet that must have found the tiled floor chilly, she led us straight to a square grayish shape that loomed up ahead. When she halted close to it and said, тАЬThere,тАЭ I clicked on my light. + 

The light glittered and glistened on a wide altar of brilliant white, crystal, and silver. + 

On the lowest of the three altar steps Doctor Riese lay dead on his back. + 

His face was composed, as if he were sleeping. His arms were straight down at his sides. His clothes were not rumpled, though his coat and vest were unbuttoned. His shirt was all blood. There were four holes in his shirtfront, all alike, all the size and shape that the weapon the girl had given me would have made. No blood was coming from his wounds now, but when I put a hand on his forehead I found it not quite cold. There was blood on the altar steps, and on the floor below, where his noseglasses, unbroken, on the end of their black ribbon, lay. + 

I straightened up and swung the beam of my light into the girlтАЩs face. She blinked and squinted, but her face showed nothing except that physical discomfort. + 

тАЬYou killed him?тАЭ I asked. + 

Young Collinson came out of his trance to bawl: тАЬNo.тАЭ + 

тАЬShut up,тАЭ I told him, stepping closer to the girl, so he couldnтАЩt wedge himself between us. тАЬDid you?тАЭ I asked her again. + 

тАЬAre you surprised?тАЭ she inquired quietly. тАЬYou were there when my stepmother told of the cursed Dain blood in me, and of what it had done and would do to me and those who touched me. Is this,тАЭ she asked, pointing at the dead man, тАЬanything you should not have expected?тАЭ + 

тАЬDonтАЩt be silly,тАЭ I said while I tried to figure out her calmness. I had seen her coked to the ears before, but this wasnтАЩt that. I didnтАЩt know what this was. тАЬWhy did you kill him?тАЭ + 

Collinson grabbed my arm and yanked me around to face him. He was all on fire. + 

тАЬWe canтАЩt stand here talking,тАЭ he cried. тАЬWeтАЩve got to get her out of here, away from this. WeтАЩve got to hide the body, or put it some place where theyтАЩll think somebody else did it. You know how those things are done. IтАЩll take her home. You fix it.тАЭ + 

тАЬYeah?тАЭ I asked. тАЬWhatтАЩll I do? Frame it on one of the Filipino boys, so theyтАЩll hang him instead of her?тАЭ + 

тАЬYes, thatтАЩs it. You know how toтБатАФтАЭ + 

тАЬLike hell thatтАЩs it,тАЭ I said. тАЬYouтАЩve got nice ideas.тАЭ + 

His face got redder. He stammered: тАЬI didnтАЩtтБатАФdidnтАЩt mean so theyтАЩll hang anybody, really. I wouldnтАЩt want you to do that. But couldnтАЩt it be fixed for him to get away? IтБатАФIтАЩd make it worth his while. He couldтБатАФтАЭ + 

тАЬTurn it off,тАЭ I growled. тАЬYouтАЩre wasting our time.тАЭ + 

тАЬBut youтАЩve got to,тАЭ he insisted. тАЬYou came here to see that nothing happened to Gabrielle and youтАЩve got to go through with it.тАЭ + 

тАЬYeah? YouтАЩre a smart boy.тАЭ + 

тАЬI know itтАЩs a lot to ask, but IтАЩll payтБатАФтАЭ + 

тАЬStop it.тАЭ I took my arm out of his hands and turned to the girl again, asking: тАЬWho else was here when it happened?тАЭ + 

тАЬNo one.тАЭ + 

I played my light around, on the corpse and altar, all over the floor, on the walls, and saw nothing I hadnтАЩt seen before. The walls were white, smooth, and unbroken except for the door we had come through and another, exactly like it, on the other side. These four straight whitewashed walls, undecorated, rose six stories to the sky. + 

I put the dagger beside RieseтАЩs body, snapped off the light, and told Collinson: тАЬWeтАЩll take Miss Leggett up to her room.тАЭ + 

тАЬFor GodтАЩs sake letтАЩs get her out of hereтБатАФout of this houseтБатАФnow, while thereтАЩs time!тАЭ + 

I said sheтАЩd look swell running through the streets barefooted and with nothing on but a bloodstained nightie. + 

I turned on the light again when I heard him making noises. He was jerking his arms out of his overcoat. He said: тАЬIтАЩve got the car at the corner, and I can carry her to it,тАЭ and started towards her with the coat held out. + 

She ran around to the other side of me, moaning: тАЬOh, donтАЩt let him touch me.тАЭ + 

I put out an arm to stop him. It wasnтАЩt strong enough. The girl got behind me. Collinson pursued her and she came around in front. I felt like the center of a merry-go-round, and didnтАЩt like the feel of it. When Collinson came in front of me, I drove my shoulder into his side, sending him staggering over against the side of the altar. Following him, I planted myself in front of the big sap and blew off steam: тАЬStop it. If you want to play with us youтАЩve got to stop cutting up, and do what youтАЩre told, and let her alone. Yes or no?тАЭ + 

He straightened his legs under him and began: тАЬBut, man, you canтАЩtтБатАФтАЭ + 

тАЬLet her alone,тАЭ I said. тАЬLet me alone. The next break you make IтАЩm going to sock your jaw with the flat of a gun. If you want it now, say so. Will you behave?тАЭ + 

He muttered: тАЬAll right.тАЭ + 

I turned around to see the girl, a gray shadow, running towards the open door, her bare feet making little noise on the tiles. My shoes made an ungodly racket as I went after her. Just inside the door I caught her with an arm around her waist. The next moment my arm was jerked away, and I was flung aside, smacking into the wall, slipping down on one knee. Collinson, looking eight feet tall in the darkness, stood close to me, storming down at me, but all I could pick out of his many words was a тАЬdamn you.тАЭ + 

I was in a swell mood when I got up from my knee. Playing nursemaid to a crazy girl wasnтАЩt enough: I had to be chucked around by her boyfriend. I put all the hypocrisy I had into my voice when I said casually, тАЬYou oughtnтАЩt to do that,тАЭ to him and went over to where the girl was standing by the door. + 

тАЬWeтАЩll go up to your room now,тАЭ I told her. + 

тАЬNot Eric,тАЭ she protested. + 

тАЬHe wonтАЩt bother you,тАЭ I promised again, hoping thereтАЩd be more truth to it this time. тАЬGo ahead.тАЭ + 

She hesitated, then went through the doorway. Collinson, looking partly sheepish, partly savage, and altogether discontented, followed me through. I closed the door, asking the girl if she had the key. тАЬNo,тАЭ she said, as if she hadnтАЩt known there was a key. + 

We rode up in the elevator, the girl keeping me always between her and her fianc├й, if thatтАЩs what he still was. He stared fixedly at nothing. I studied her face, still trying to dope her out, to decide whether she had been shocked back into sanity or farther away from it. Looking at her, the first guess seemed likely, but I had a hunch it wasnтАЩt. We saw nobody between the altar and her room. I switched on her lights and we went in. I closed the door and put my back against it. Collinson put his overcoat and hat on a chair and stood beside them, folding his arms, looking at Gabrielle. She sat on the edge of the bed and looked at my feet. + 

тАЬTell us the whole thing, quick,тАЭ I commanded. + 

She looked up at my face and said: тАЬI should like to go to sleep now.тАЭ + 

That settled the question of her sanity, so far as I was concerned: she hadnтАЩt any. But now I had another thing to worry me. This room was not exactly as it had been before. Something had been changed in it since I had been there not many minutes ago. I shut my eyes, trying to shake up my memory for a picture of it then; I opened my eyes, looking at it now. + 

тАЬCanтАЩt I?тАЭ she asked. + 

I let her question wait while I put my gaze around the room, checking it up item by item, as well as I could. The only change I could put my finger on was CollinsonтАЩs coat and hat on the chair. There was no mystery to their presence; and the chair, I decided, was what had bothered me. It still did. I went to it and picked up his coat. There was nothing under it. ThatтАЩs what was wrong: a green dressing-gown, or something of the sort, had been there before, and was not there now. I didnтАЩt see it elsewhere in the room, and didnтАЩt have enough confidence in its being there to search for it. The green mules were under the bed. + 

I said to the girl: + 

тАЬNot now. Go in the bathroom and wash the blood off, and then get dressed. Take your clothes in there with you. When youтАЩre dressed, give your nightgown to Collinson.тАЭ I turned to him. тАЬPut it in your pocket and keep it there. DonтАЩt go out of the room until I come back, and donтАЩt let anybody in. I wonтАЩt be gone long. Got a gun?тАЭ + 

тАЬNo,тАЭ he said, тАЬbut IтБатАФтАЭ + 

The girl got up from the bed, came over to stand close in front of me, and interrupted him. + 

тАЬYou canтАЩt leave me here with him,тАЭ she said earnestly. тАЬI wonтАЩt have it. IsnтАЩt it enough that IтАЩve killed one man tonight? DonтАЩt make me kill another.тАЭ She was earnest, but not excited, speaking as if her words were quite reasonable. + 

тАЬIтАЩve got to go out for a while,тАЭ I said. тАЬAnd you canтАЩt stay alone. Do what I tell you.тАЭ + 

тАЬDo you know what youтАЩre doing?тАЭ she asked in a thin, tired voice. тАЬYou canтАЩt know, or you wouldnтАЩt do it.тАЭ Her back was to Collinson. She lifted her face so that I saw rather than heard the nearly soundless words her lips formed: тАЬNot Eric. Let him go.тАЭ + 

She had me woozy: a little more of it and I would have been ready for the cell next to hers: I was actually tempted to let her have her way. I jerked a thumb at the bathroom and said: тАЬYou can stay in there till I come back, if you want, but heтАЩll have to stay here.тАЭ + 

She nodded hopelessly and went into the dressing-alcove. When she crossed from there to the bathroom, carrying clothes in her arms, a tear was shiny beneath each eye. + 

I gave my gun to Collinson. The hand in which he took it was tight and shaky. He was making a lot of noise with his breath. I said: тАЬNow donтАЩt be a sap. Give me some help instead of trouble for once. Nobody in or out: if you have to shoot, shoot.тАЭ + 

He tried to say something, couldnтАЩt, grabbed my nearest hand, and did his best to disable it. I took it away from him and went down to the scene of Doctor RieseтАЩs murder. I had some difficulty in getting there. The iron door through which we had passed a few minutes ago was now locked. The lock seemed simple enough. I went at it with the fancy attachments on my pocketknife, and presently had the door open. + 

I didnтАЩt find the green gown inside. I didnтАЩt find RieseтАЩs body on the altar steps. It was nowhere in sight. The dagger was gone. Every trace of blood, except where the pool on the white floor had left a faintly yellow stain, was gone. Somebody had been tidying up. + 