The Ypsilanti Daily Press

Towards Zero

SYNOPSIS

Old Mr. Treves, the famed criminologist, had long ago retired from active practice, but his views on the subject of murder were still highly respected. In his opinion, the 'dark deed' really began long before the actual crime was committed. Here, then, are the causes and events that brought certain people to a certain place on a certain day . . all converging towards the zero hour.

On January 11th, Angus MacWhirter lay tossing on a hospital cot following an unsuccessful attempt at suicide. MacWhirter's wife had left him when he lost his job, and he had hoped to land in the sea when he jumped from the cliff, but his coat had caught on the limb of a tree. The kindly nurse in charge assured him that fate undoubtedly had a reason for saving him.

In February, a lone figure sat plotting, a carefully detailed project for murder. The writer traced a date in September, then, with a match, burned the paper to ashes. The plan was now only existent in the brain of its creator.

In March, shrewd Inspector Battle, of Scotland Yard, was summoned to his daughter Sylvia's school by Miss Amphrey, the headmistress. Sylvia had confessed she was guilty of the various small thefts which had been puzzling the school authorities. Battle's clever questioning of his sensitive daughter proves her innocence.

In April, Neville Strange, handsome young sportsman, and Kay, his pleasure-loving bride of a few months, discussed their proposed visit in June to Gull's Point, home of Neville's elderly guardian, Lady Camilla Tressilian. Kay disliked going on a yachting party scheduled for this time, but decided they'd better play to Camilla since Neville was her heir.

CHAPTER FIVE

"It's not a question of playing up," Neville said angrily: "Camilla has no control over the money. Sir Matthew left it in trust for her during her lifetime and to come to me and my wife afterwards. It's a question of affection. Why can't you understand that?"

Kay said, after a moment's pause:

"I do understand really. I'm just putting on an act because-well, because I know I'm only allowed there on sufferance, as it were. They hate me! Yes, they do! Lady Tressilian looks down that long nose of hers at me and Mary Aldin looks over my shoulder when she talks to me. It's all very well for you. You don't see what goes on."

"They always seem to me very polite to you. You know quite well I wouldn't stand for it if they weren't."

Kay gave him a curious look from under her dark lashes.

"They're polite enough. But they know how to get under my skin all right. I'm the interloper, that's what they feel."

"Well," said Neville, "after all, I suppose--that's natural enough, isn't it?"

His voice had changed slightly. He got up and stood looking out at the view with his back to Kay.

"Oh, yes I dare say it's natural. They were devoted to Audrey, weren't they?" Her voice shook a little. "Dear, well-bred, cool, colorless Audrey! Camilla's not forgiven me for taking her place."

Neville did not turn. His voice was lifeless, dull. He said: "After all, Camilla's old-past 70. Her generation doesn't really like divorce, you know. On the whole, I think she's accepted the position very well considering how fond she was of-of Audrey."

His voice changed just a little as he spoke the name.

"They think you treated her badly-"

"So I did," said Neville under his breath, but his wife heard.

"Oh, Neville-don't be so stupid. Just because she chose to make such a frightful fuss."

"She didn't make a fuss. Audrey never made fusses."

"Well you know what I mean. Because she went away and was ill, and went about everywhere looking broken hearted. That's what I call a fuss! Audrey's not what I call a good loser. From my point of view if a wife can't hold her husband she ought to give him up gracefully! You two had nothing in common. She never played a game and was as anemic and washed up as-as a dishrag. No life or go in her! If she really cared about you, she ought to have thought about your happiness first and been glad you were going to be happy with someone more suited to you."

Neville turned. A faintly sardonic smile played around his lips.

"What a little sportsman! How to play the game in love and matrimony!"

Kay laughed and reddened.

"Well, perhaps I was going a bit far. But at any rate once the thing had happened, there it was. You've got to accept these things!"

Neville said quietly:

"Audrey accepted it. She divorced me so that you and I could marry."

"Yes. I know-" Kay hesitated.

Neville said:

"You've never understood Audrey."

"No, I haven't. In a way, Audrey gives me the creeps. I don't know what it is about her. You never know what she's thinking. . . . She's-she's a little frightening."

"Oh! nonsense, Kay. Well, she frightens me. Perhaps it's because she's got brains."

"My lovely nit wit!"

Kay laughed.

"You always call me that!"

"Because it's what you are!"

They smiled at each other. Neville came over to her and, bending down, kissed the back of her neck.

"Lovely, lovely Kay," he murmured.

"Very good Kay," said Kay.

"Giving up a lovely yachting trip to go and be snubbed by her husband's prim Victorian relations."

Neville went back and sat down by the table.

"You know," he said, "I don't see why we shouldn't go on that trip with Shirty if you really want to so much."

Kay sat up in astonishment.

"And what about Saltcreek and Gull's Point?"

Neville said in a rather unnatural voice:

"I don't see why we shouldn't go there early in September."

"Oh, but, Neville, surely-" She stopped.

"We can't go in July and August because of the tournaments," said Neville. "But we finish up at St. Loo the last week in August and it would fit in very well if we went on to Saltcreek from there."

"Oh, it would be all right-beautifully. But I thought-well. SHE always goes there for September, doesn't she?"

"Audrey, you mean?"

"Yes. I suppose they could put her off, but-"

"Why should they put her off?"

Kay stared at him dubiously.

"You mean we'd be there at the same time? What an extraordinary idea!"

Neville said irritably:

"I don't think it's at all an extraordinary idea. Lots of people do it nowadays. Why shouldn't we all be friends together? It makes things so much simpler. Why, you said so yourself only the other day."

"I did?"

"Yes! Don't you remember? We were talking about the Howes, and you said it was the sensible civilized way to look at things, and that Leonard's new wife and his ex were the best of friends."

"Oh. I wouldn't mind, I do think it's sensible. But-well-I don't think Audrey would feel like that about it."

"Nonsense."

"It isn't nonsense. You know, Neville, Audrey really was terribly fond of you. . . . I don't think she'd stand it for a moment."

"You're quite wrong, Kay. Audrey thinks it would be quite a good thing."

"Audrey-what do you mean, Audrey thinks? How do you know what Audrey thinks?"

Neville looked slightly embarrassed. He cleared his throat a little self-consciously.

"As a matter of fact. I happened to run into her yesterday when I was up in London."

"You never told me,"

"I'm telling you now. It was absolute chance. I was walking across the park and there she was coming towards me. You wouldn't want me to run away from her would you?"

"No, of course not," said Kay, staring. "Go on."

"I-we-well, we stopped, of course, and then I turned around and walked with her. I-I felt it was the least I could do."

"Go on," said Kay.

"And then we sat down on a couple of chairs and talked. She was very nice-very nice, indeed."

"Delightful for you," said Kay.

"And we got to talking, you know, about one thing and another. . . She was quite natural and normal-and-and all that."

"Remarkable!" said Kay.

"And she asked how you were-"

"Very kind of her!"

"-And we talked about you for a bit. Really, Kay, she couldn't have been nicer."

"Darling Audrey!"

"And then it sort of came to me -you know-how nice it would be if-if you two could be friends-if we could all get together. And it occurred to me that perhaps we might manage it at Gull's Point this summer. Sort of place it could happen quite naturally."

"YOU thought of that?"

"I-well-yes, of course. It was all my idea."

"You've never said anything to me about having any such idea."

"Well, I only happened to think of it just then."

"I see. Anyway, you suggested it and Audrey thought it was a marvelous brain wave?"

For the first time, something in Kay's manner seemed to penetrate to Neville's consciousness.

He said:

"Is anything the matter, gorgeous?"

"Oh, no, nothing! Nothing at all! It didn't occur to you or Audrey whether I should think it a marvelous idea?"

"But, Kay, why on earth should you mind?"

Kay bit her lip.

Neville went on:

"You said yourself-only the other day-"

"Oh, don't go into that again! I was talking about other people-not us."

"But that's partly what made me think of it."

"More fool me. Not that I believe that."

Neville was looking at her with dismay.

"But Kay, why should you mind? I mean, there's nothing for you to mind about!"

"Isn't there?"

"Well, I mean-any jealousy or that-would be on the other side."

He paused, his voice changed. "You see, Kay. you and I treated Audrey darn badly. No. I don't mean that. It was nothing to do with you. I treated her very badly. It's no good just saying I couldn't help myself. I feel that if this could come off I'd feel better about the whole thing. It would make me a lot happier."

Kay said slowly

"So you haven't been happy?"

"Darling idiot, what do you mean? Of course I've been happy. Radiantly happy. But"

Kay cut in:

"BUT-that's it! There's always been a but in this house. Some awful creeping shadow about the place. Audrey's shadow."

Neville stared at her

"You mean to say you're jealous of Audrey?" he said.

"I'm not jealous of her. I'm afraid of her. . . . Neville. you don't know what Audrey's like."

"Not know what she's like when I've been married to her for over eight years?"

"You don't know" Kay repeated "what Audrey is like."

(To Be Continued)