Read Online The Finishing Stroke by Ellery Queen - Free Book Online Page B

don’t see it all yet, but the camel … in India, no ghost will cross the threshold of a house if camel bones are buried under it … and there’s a house, isn’t there – and, yes! isn’t that little ox labelled “Made in India”?’
    â€˜Doesn’t that seem a bit on the complicated side, Mrs. Brown?’ Ellery murmured. ‘Let’s see, now … Two of the three objects represent animals, the third a house. That doesn’t seem to tie in, unless this were a zoo house, which it clearly isn’t. The materials vary – the ox is wood; the house is wood, simulated brick and slate; the camel is metal and enamel. Their sizes are inconsistent – the ox is bigger than the camel, and the house is on a different scale from either. Colours? Brown, red and black and white, and grey and white.’
    â€˜This is very much like reading The Roman Hat Mystery all over again,’ Publisher Freeman said. ‘Go on!’
    â€˜There’s nowhere to go, Mr. Freeman. I can’t see that these objects have anything in common except the irritating fact that they were given to John by an unknown donor for an undisclosed reason. John, does any explanation at all suggest itself to you?’
    â€˜Hell, no,’ John said. ‘Except that it has a nasty feel. Don’t ask me why!’
    â€˜Oh, it’s probably someone’s idea of fun,’ Rusty said, taking John’s arm. ‘Don’t look so grim, darling.’
    â€˜The ox,’ her mother exclaimed. ‘That’s one of the signs of Taurus! Which one of us is Taurus again? Why, that’s you, Mr. Craig.’
    The bearded host looked unhappy. ‘I suppose it is, Mrs. Brown. But let me assure you –’
    Rusty said sharply, ‘Mother, don’t be silly.’
    â€˜Well, dear, he is .’
    â€˜Ellery,’ Ellen said. ‘There may be a clue in the wording of the message.’
    â€˜If there is, I’m blind to it. It’s evident, of course, that the rhymester is taking off on that old English carol – what’s it called …?’ His mouth remained open. ‘I’ll be double-jiggered,’ he said softly. ‘Of course. “The Twelve Days of Christmas”!’ At their blank looks he said, ‘I’d already remarked to Ellen the curious recurrence of the number twelve since these mysteries began. Twelve people in our party – for a holiday consisting of the so-called Twelve Days of Christmas – and among the twelve people, by coincidence (or is it?) we have represented the twelve different signs of the zodiac. Now these gifts come, and the verse that comes with them is a parody of the English carol actually known as “The Twelve Days of Christmas”! Remember how the original goes? “On the first day of Christmas/My true love sent to me,/A partridge in a pear tree./On the second day of Christmas/My true love sent to me,/Two turtle doves and a partridge in a pear tree.” And so forth. The third day adds “three French hens,” repeating two turtle doves and a partridge in a pear tree; the fourth day adds “four calling birds”; and it keeps going that way, each additional item being followed by a repetition of all the preceding ones, until it winds up on the twelfth day with “twelve drummers drumming.” ’
    â€˜Charming,’ a voice said. ‘But so what?’
    Ellery did not have to turn to recognize its owner. ‘I don’t know, Marius. Except that we’re plainly at the mere beginning of something. The carol would hardly be used as a model for these high jinks unless the user intended to follow it through.’
    â€˜O happy day, O day of joy,’ John said. ‘Or is it?’
    â€˜I don’t know that, either. I rather doubt, however, that the giving of joy is the motivating mood of whoever sent this. I’m afraid, John, for all its air of damfoolery,