Read Online Wife or Death by Ellery Queen - Free Book Online Page A

And according to Mac, he’s got no record that any of his cabs drove her anywhere. He says he certainly didn’t.”
    â€œYou don’t have to spin out your case like some cop on TV,” Denton said. “I put that social note in the paper to save myself some grief and buy some time. My wife ran off with another man.”
    The chief’s heavy lids opened slightly. “Who?”
    â€œI don’t know, Augie. She left a note saying she was leaving me, packed a suitcase and took off in the middle of the night of the Hallowe’en Ball. I’d guess somewhere around four A.M. I’m not sure, because I was asleep.”
    â€œHer getting out of bed, dressing, packing a suitcase didn’t wake you?”
    â€œWe’ve been sleeping in separate rooms for a long, long time, my friend,” Denton said gently.
    â€œOh.” The big man was silent. “Can I see that note, Jim?”
    â€œSure thing.” Denton jumped up.
    He paused.
    â€œWait a minute,” he said slowly. “She left the note on her pillow. After I read it I tossed it into the wastebasket beside the vanity. It must have been burned. The cleaning woman I hired empties the baskets into the trash burner.”
    â€œOh,” Chief Spile said again, but this time the vowel sounded different—it was softer, longer-drawn out. “Can you remember what it said, Jim?” He added, “Exactly?”
    â€œSure I can,” Denton said irritably. “‘Dear James, I’m leaving you and Ridgemore forever—’ no, not forever, for good ‘—and please don’t try to find me. I’ll write to let you know where to send the rest of my things.’ And her name, ‘Angel.’ That was it, Augie. Short and sour.”
    The chief said heavily, “Nothing there about another man.”
    â€œThat was a matter of deduction. You see, I overheard her making plans to elope with some s.o.b.—oh, hell,” Denton said disgustedly, “I suppose I’d better start from the beginning.”
    He related what had occurred on the night of the ball, including the comments about Angel and Ralph Crosby he had happened to overhear Ellen Wright and Olive Haber exchanging, the snatch of conversation he had heard between Angel and the unknown man in the dark, during the power failure, at the Wyatts’ party afterward, his trouble with Crosby before they left, and his discussion with Angel about a divorce on their drive home.
    Chief Spile pursed his sausage-like lips. “And you have no idea at all, Jim, who this man might be?”
    â€œNot the slightest. I knew from the conversation in the dark that it had to be some man at the Wyatts’ that night, but I checked every man who was there, and not one of them was missing from town. Of course, it’s always possible he drove her to a train or bus in some other town, then drove back to Ridgemore, intending to join her later.”
    â€œCould be.” Spile heaved himself to his feet. “Well, let’s mark time for a while, Jim, and see if you hear from her. You’ll let me know the minute you do?”
    â€œOf course.”
    â€œMeantime I’ll just sit on what you told me. You don’t have to worry about its getting spread all over town.”
    â€œThanks, Augie.”
    After the police chief left, Denton poured himself an over-generous drink and sat down in his living room with the glass between his hands and his elbows resting on his knees. The whole thing was ridiculous. Augie Spile questioning him like that! Angel wasn’t the first woman who’d walked out on her husband in the middle of the night. Anyone would think he’d murdered her or something. Damn Crosby and his frustrated libido! There was something sick about the man. Who was the injured party, anyway?
    What I ought to do, Denton thought savagely, is haul that trouble-making horse’s ass out of his office and punch his