Erle Gardner: The Monkey Murder

“I see you’ve read it, sir,” the undercover man said. “I didn’t realize you were familiar with the case. May I ask, if you don’t mind, sir, how you happened to know about it? Were they friends of yours?”

“I’m not familiar with that case,” Leith said wearily, “but with dozens of others of the same type. Come on, Scuttle; let’s have something fresh.”

“Well, sir, I don’t think there’s— Oh, yes, sir, here’s something rather unusual. The murder of a monkey, sir.”

“The murder of a monkey?” Leith said, turning half around, so that he could study the spy’s face. “Why the devil should anyone want to murder a monkey?”

“Well, of course, strictly speaking, sir, it isn’t murder, but I’ve referred to it as murder because if what the police suspect is true, that’s virtually what it amounted to... that is, sir, I trust you understand me... I mean—”

“I don’t understand you,” Lester Leith interrupted, “and I have no means of knowing what you mean except from what you say. Kindly elucidate, Scuttle.”

“Yes, sir, it was a monkey belonging to Peter B. Mainwaring. Mr. Mainwaring was returning from a year spent abroad, principally in India and Africa.”

“Come, come, Scuttle,” Lester Leith said. “Get to the point. Why was the monkey murdered?”

“It was Mr. Mainwaring’s monkey, sir.”

“And who killed it, Scuttle?”

“The police don’t know. It was a holdup man.”

“A holdup man, Scuttle?”

“Yes, sir. According to Mr. Mainwaring’s story, the bandit held up the automobile, shot the monkey through the head, and slit its body open. Mr. Mainwaring thinks the killer came from India. It’s some sort of a ceremony having to do with thuggee and the monkey priests who worship the monkeys and exact a death penalty from any monkey that deserts the clan.”

“I’ve never heard of anything like that before,” Leith said.

“Yes, sir. That’s the story that Mr. Mainwaring has given to the police.”

“Bosh and nonsense,” Lester Leith said. “Thuggee is one thing; the monkey worship of India is entirely different... that is, there’s no possible connection which could result in a man following another from India to America just to kill a monkey and slit him open.”

“Yes, sir,” the spy said dubiously. “The police don’t know much about it. I don’t mind telling you, sir, however, that... well, perhaps I shouldn’t mention it.”

“Go ahead,” Leith said. “What is it?”

“I think I mentioned at one time that one of my lady friends was quite friendly with a member of the force, not that she’s encouraged him, but he persists in—”

“Yes, yes, I remember,” Leith said. “A policeman, isn’t it, Scuttle?”

“No, sir. He’s been promoted to a detective.”

“Oh, yes, Scuttle. I remember now. Where’s he stationed?”

The spy said: “Begging your pardon, sir, I’d rather not talk about that. But I don’t mind repeating a bit of information occasionally.”

“Am I to understand,” Lester Leith asked, “that this detective habitually tells this young woman police secrets, and the young woman in turn makes a practice of passing them on to you?”

The big spy smirked. “That’s rather a bald statement, sir.”

“Bald, nothing,” Leith observed; “you are doubtless referring to its whiskers.”

“Beg your pardon, sir?”

Leith said: “Nothing, Scuttle. I was merely making a comment to myself. Go on. Tell me what you were going to say about Mainwaring.”

“Well, sir, the police had an idea that Mainwaring may have been in league with a gang of smugglers and that he may have killed the monkey himself in order to cover up the real reason of the holdup. Or, then again, the man may have been an accomplice who had been tricked, and shot at Mainwaring and hit the monkey instead.”

“You may be interested in knowing that the police have reason to believe Mainwaring left India in fear of his life.”

“What has all this to do with smuggling, Scuttle?”

“Well, sir, if the native rumors are true, sir, Mainwaring may have slipped two very valuable gems to some native accomplice with instructions to smuggle them into this country. The gems weren’t in the car with Mainwaring, but he may have had them in India and intrusted this native to—”

“What gems, Scuttle?”

“The jewels of the monkey god, sir.”

“The jewels of the monkey god? Come, come, Scuttle; this is beginning to sound like one of Sergeant Ackley’s wild accusations.”

“Yes, sir. Over in India there’s the special god for monkeys, a god that’s named... Hanne... Hanney—”

“Hanuman?” Lester Leith suggested.

“Yes, sir. That’s it, sir. Hanuman. I remember the name now that you’ve helped me, sir. Thank you, sir.”

“What about Hanuman, the monkey god?” Lester Leith asked.

“It seems that back in the jungles, sir, there’s a huge statue of the monkey god. He’s covered with gold leaf. His eyes were emeralds, and his breast nipples consist of two huge emeralds. It seems that some adventurer managed to gain access to this temple and substituted bits of green glass for the emeralds. The substitution wasn’t discovered for some time.”

“And what has this to do with Mainwaring’s smuggling?” Lester Leith asked.

“The police, sir, have reason to believe that it was Mainwaring who made the substitution.”

“Peter B. Mainwaring?” Lester Leith asked.

The valet nodded.

Leith said thoughtfully: “Now, Scuttle, you interest me. You interest me very much indeed. I think you’ll agree with me, Scuttle, that if that were the truth, Mainwaring shouldn’t be allowed to retain the fruits of his nefarious action.”

“Yes, sir,” the spy agreed, his eyes eager. “Only Mainwaring apparently doesn’t have them.”

“And, by the same sign,” Leith said, “you will also admit that there is nothing to be gained by sending these stones back to the jungle to become part of the anatomy of a heathen idol.”

“Yes, sir, I agree with you upon that absolutely, sir,” the spy said with alacrity.

“Under the circumstances,” Leith announced, “we’ll consider the murder of this monkey, Scuttle. Tell me about it.”

“Yes, sir. Well, you see, sir, the police had been notified. They thought that perhaps Mr. Mainwaring was bringing the emeralds in with him although Mainwaring had denied having them in his possession or knowing anything about them. He admitted that he had been in that section of the country at about the time the stones disappeared. In fact, he said it was due to this fact and only to this fact that the natives thought he was responsible for the theft.”

“Yes,” Leith said. “I can understand how it would happen that a white man, under such circumstances, would be considered responsible for the loss by ignorant or superstitious natives. Perhaps Mainwaring was telling the truth after all, Scuttle.”

“Well, sir. You see, it was this way, sir. The police and the customs officials were watching Mainwaring closely. Mainwaring made no declaration of the gems, nor did a most thorough search of his baggage reveal them. But he must have been mixed up with Indian gangsters, the disciples of thuggee. At any rate, this stickup looks like it.”

“Mainwaring was traveling alone?” Lester Leith asked.

“His nurse was with him, sir.”

“His nurse, Scuttle?”

“Yes, sir. Mr. Mainwaring is suffering from an indisposition, an organic heart trouble. At times when he’s seized with an attack, it is necessary that a nurse administer a hypodermic at once.”

“A male nurse, Scuttle?”