Эллери Куин - Dutch Shoe Mystery

“Dr. Leslie?”

“Arthur Leslie, that’s right,” said the surgeon. He nodded to Janney, who sat morosely in his chair puffing at his cigarette. “What’s this — an inquisition?”

“Of a sort...” Ellery leaned forward. “Dr. Leslie, were you with Mrs. Doorn from the time Dr. Janney left her to attend his other operation until the time Mrs. Doorn was wheeled into the Amphitheater?”

“Not at all.” Leslie looked interrogatively at Minchen. “Am I suspected of murder, John?... No, old man, I wasn’t with her all the time. Left her in this Anteroom under the care of Miss Price.”

“Oh, I see! But you were with her every minute of the time before she was brought here?”

“Now you’re talking. That’s right.”

Ellery tapped his finger lightly on his knee. “Are you prepared to swear, Dr. Leslie, that Mrs. Doorn was alive when you left this room?”

The surgeon’s eyebrows went up quizzically. “Don’t know how valid my oath is, but — yes. I examined her before leaving this room. Heart was certainly pumping. She was alive, brother.”

“Well, well! We’re getting somewhere at last,” murmured Ellery. “Limits the time nicely, and corroborates Dr. Janney’s estimate about the approximate time of death. That will be all, Doctor.”

Leslie smiled, turned on his heel. “Oh, by the way, Doctor,” Ellery drawled. “At exactly what time was the patient brought into this room?”

“Ask me a harder one. 10:20. Wheeled right from her room on the third floor to the lift over there” — he pointed across the room to the door marked AMPHITHEATER LIFT — “and carried directly from the lift into this room. Lift’s used only to convey patients to and from operations in the Amphitheater, you know. To make the report minutely correct, Miss Price and Miss Clayton accompanied me downstairs, after which Miss Price was left to watch the patient while I went into the theater to get things ready and Miss Clayton departed for other duties. Miss Price is Dr. Janney’s assistant, you know.”

“She’s been helping Dr. Janney with Mrs. Doorn for several years,” interposed Minchen.

“Is that all?” demanded Dr. Leslie.

“Quite. Will you ask Miss Price and Miss Clayton to step in here, please?”

“Right!” Leslie departed, whistling cheerfully.

Janney stirred. “Look here, Queen, surely you don’t need me any more. Let me get out of here.”

Ellery rose, flexed his biceps. “Sorry, Doctor — we’ve still a use for you... Ah, come in!”

Minchen opened the door wide to admit two young women in regulation white uniform.

Ellery bowed gallantly, looked from one to the other. “Miss Price — Miss Clayton?”

One of the nurses — a tall, fair girl with roguish dimples — said quickly, “Oh, I’m Clayton, sir. This is Miss Price. Isn’t it dreadful? We—”

“Undoubtedly.” Ellery stepped back, indicated two chairs. Janney had not risen. He sat glaring savagely at his left leg. “Won’t you sit down?... Now, Miss Clayton, I understand that you and Miss Price brought Mrs. Doorn down on a wheel-table from the third floor some time ago, in company with Dr. Leslie. Is that correct?”

“Yes, sir. Then Dr. Leslie went into the Amphitheater and I had to get back to Ward G — that’s off the third floor — and Miss Price remained here,” replied the tall nurse.

“Right, Miss Price?”

“Yes, sir.” The second nurse was a medium-sized brunette with fresh rosy skin and clear eyes.

“Excellent! Ellery beamed. “Miss Price, can you recall what happened while you were in this room alone with Mrs. Doorn?”

“Oh, perfectly.”

Ellery shot a quick glance toward the other occupants of the room. Janney still sat glowering; to judge from the expression on his face, he was absorbed in dour reflections. Minchen leaned against the door, intently listening. Miss Clayton was watching Ellery with a sort of frank fascination. Miss Price sat quietly, hands folded in her lap.

Ellery leaned forward. “Miss Price, who entered this room after Dr. Leslie and Miss Clayton left?”

The extraordinary earnestness of his tone seemed to befuddle the nurse. She hesitated. “Why — no one but Dr. Janney, sir.”

“Hey?” roared Dr. Janney. He had leaped to his feet so suddenly that Miss Clayton uttered a stifled scream. “Why, Lucille, you must be mad! Do you mean to sit there and say to my face that I came into this room before the operation?”

“Why, Dr. Janney,” said the girl faintly. Her face had whitened. “I... I saw you.”

The surgeon stared at his assistant, his long simian arms dangling ludicrously to his knees. Ellery looked at Janney, at Miss Price, at Minchen — and clucked tenderly beneath his breath. When he spoke his voice was soft, a little vibrant.

“You may go now, Miss Clayton.”

The fair nurse opened her eyes widely. “Oh, but—”

“If you please.”

She left the room reluctantly, casting a longing glance back over her shoulder as Minchen closed the door behind her.

“Now!” Ellery removed his pince-nez eyeglasses; he began with a gentle circular motion to polish them. “We seem to have reached a slight point of disagreement. You say, Doctor, that you weren’t in this room before the operation?”

Janney glared. “Of course I say so! It’s the most ridiculous nonsense! Why, you yourself talked to me about 10:30 in the corridor just after I’d been operating for twenty minutes, and I don’t doubt saw me leave with Cobb the doorman to go toward the Waiting Room. How could I have been in this room? Lucille, you’re absolutely mistaken!”

“Just a moment, Doctor,” interposed Ellery. “Miss Price, at what time did Dr. Janney enter? Can you recall?”

The nurse’s fingers were nervously plucking at her starched gown. “Why — I don’t remember exactly — about 10:30 — perhaps a few minutes later. Doctor, I’m—”

“And how do you know it was Dr. Janney, Miss Price?”

She laughed, nervously. “Why, naturally I thought — I just recognized him — I took it for granted it was Dr. Janney...”

“Ah! You took it for granted?” said Ellery. He took a swift step forward. “Why, didn’t you see his face? Surely, if you had seen his face you’d have known positively.”

“Certainly!” interrupted Janney. “You’ve known me long enough, Lucille. I can’t understand—” Beneath his irritation he seemed bewildered. Minchen looked on in stupefaction.

“Oh, you — he wore gown, cap and gag,” stammered the girl, “so I could only see the eyes — but — well, he limped, sir, and he was about the same height, and — you see, that’s what I mean by taking it for granted. You never quite know why.”

Janney stared at her. “By God, some one’s been impersonating me!” he cried. “That’s it! I’m damn easy to impersonate... game leg... gag... Queen, some one — some one...”

Ellery placed a restraining hand on the little surgeon’s quivering arm. “Take it easy, Doctor. Sit down, sit down. We’ll get to the bottom of this only too quickly... Well. Come in!”

There had been a short knock on the door. It opened now to admit a giant of a man in street clothes. He had tremendous shoulders, light eyes, a rock-ribbed face.

“Velie!” exclaimed Ellery. “Dad here already?”

The newcomer under thick brows examined Janney, Minchen, the nurse... “No, Mr. Queen. On his way. Men from the local precinct and detectives from District Headquarters are here. Want to come in. I suppose you don’t want—” He glanced significantly at Ellery’s audience.