Эрл Гарднер - The Amazing Adventures of Lester Leith

The Clipper took off for the Mainland with roaring motors, the hull dripping globules of water which scintillated like diamonds in the sun.

Lester Leith waved goodbye to his valet.

That afternoon Silman Shore met an embarrassing defeat in the international skeet shoot, following which he was seen to inspect the gun he had found in his gun case; but he made no comment.

Katiska Shogiro, watching him with glittering eyes, was heard to break into a sudden string of Japanese expletives.

At 5 o’clock that night, Mah Foy sailed for China. In her purse was a certified check signed by Lester Leith. It bore the words, “Donation to the Chinese cause — less 20 per cent for costs of collection.”

It was a week after Beaver’s return by passenger ship that Lester Leith, seated in his apartment, heard the sound of authoritative knuckles.

The door opened even before Leith could signal his valet. Sergeant Ackley, accompanied by a uniformed officer, Charles Sansone, and Silman Shore, entered the apartment.

“Well, well,” Leith said. “Good evening, gentlemen, we seem to be renewing a pleasant shipboard acquaintance. Did you come for—”

Sergeant Ackley said, “We came to make an investigation.”

“Of what?” Leith asked.

“You purchased a shotgun while you were in Honolulu?”

“That’s right,” Leith said.

“Mr. Shore’s shotgun was stolen while he was in the hotel in Honolulu. He feels that perhaps, in some unaccountable manner, the thief might have switched shotguns. He wants to see the shotgun which you took away with you on the Clipper.”

“Indeed,” Leith said, his eyes narrowing. “I think I’ve had all of.Mr. Shore’s veiled accusations I care for. If he wishes to make a charge, he can make it in the regular way — and he’d better be prepared to substantiate it.”

“I’m not doing this,” Shore said sullenly. “It’s the sergeant who’s responsible.”

“Indeed,” Leith said, arching his eyebrows. “I’m surprised, Sergeant.”

“You needn’t be,” Sergeant x\ckley said. “Just bring out that shotgun.”

“I’m afraid that’s impossible.”

“We can get a search warrant,” Sergeant Ackley said threateningly.

“I’m afraid that wouldn’t do you any good,” Leith said.

“Don’t stall,” Sergeant Ackley accused. “You laid yourself wide open, Leith. The idea of a man carrying a shotgun with him on the Clipper!”

Leith smiled. “It was rather a foolish thing to do,” he said. “Do you know, Sergeant, I became ashamed of myself. I found myself getting enthused when I saw Mr. Shore’s performance on the Monterey, but after I had a chance to see the wonderful panorama of the Islands unfolded beneath the Clipper, as we flew over Oahu, I realized that I didn’t want to indulge in any sport which would mean the taking of life... I waited until the ship was about halfway across, and then pitched that shotgun overboard.”

“You threw it overboard!” Shore exclaimed.

“Exactly,” Leith said, “and that’s why a search warrant would do you no good, Sergeant.”

The men exchanged glances. Shore said, “I guess that’s all you want of me, Sergeant.”

He turned and left the apartment.

A moment later, Charles Sansone silently followed.

Sergeant Ackley stood staring down at Leith. “Damn you,” he said, “you had it all figured out. When you flashed that necklace in your exhibition of magic and Shogiro identified it, Shore got up and dashed to his stateroom. It’s significant that he picked up his gun and inspected it. Later on, his stateroom was thoroughly searched by Shogiro, who had tumbled to what happened after he’d searched your stateroom and found nothing. That necklace wasn’t concealed in either place!

“There was only one other place it could be, one thing which wasn’t in the room when Shogiro searched it — and that was Shore’s shotgun. By removing the plate in the end of the butt, there was a hollow where a necklace could easily have been concealed.”

Leith blinked. “By George, Sergeant,” he said, “a man could conceal a necklace there.”

“Could and did,” Sergeant Ackley said.

Leith lit a cigarette, then looked up at Sergeant Ackley with a disarming smile.

“Clever of you, Sergeant,” he said. “Isn’t it a shame you didn’t think of it before?”

Leith said musingly, “And to think I pitched that gun overboard. Do you really think there was any chance the guns could have been substituted, Sergeant?”

Sergeant Ackley fumed.

“Tut, tut,” Leith said. “You mustn’t be that way, Sergeant. In your profession, it’s easy to make mistakes. You must figure things on a give-and-take basis.”

Sergeant Ackley’s face was twisted with emotion. “Yes,” he said, “and you do all the taking.”

Following which, he left, slamming the door behind him with great violence.