Johnnie

by Dorothy B. Hughes

“You can’t include me!” Magda exclaimed.

  “Indeed yes, Magda. If Rudolph dies, who is king? Ruprecht, yes. And much better you should be his queen, no?”

  Trudy made an ugly face.

  “I wasn’t betrothed to Ruprecht.”

  “It is the royal custom,” Dorp smiled, “that if a betrothal is made publicly—as it was tonight—the lady must be taken over by the new king. Ruprecht could do nothing but marry you.”

  “I could abdicate,” Ruprecht muttered.

  Ottomkopf said, “That is quite true, Herr Dorp. She killed Theo.”

  “I did not!” Magda shouted. “What about you? You never could get along with Rudolph.”

  “It appears to me,” Ferenz stated, “that Ruprecht had the most to gain by Rudolph’s death.”

  Ruprecht spoke again under his breath. “My pal.”

  “I certainly have nothing to gain,” Ferenz continued. “If Rudolph had been killed tonight, I should have lost a goodly sum of money, the cost of bringing him from Mexico, the ticket on the Clipper, the expenses involved—”

  “Maybe,” Dorp agreed. “Maybe not. There is a good price on Rudolph’s head. Put there by the Nazis who now hold Rudamia. The same price is on Ruprecht’s head. That is why the F. B. I. watch so closely on him, I believe. The Nazis would eliminate the heirs to the Rudamian throne. Believing this would save them a revolution.”

  “For someone who poses as a Rudamian patriot,” Ferenz said meanly, “It seems to me you know a lot about Nazi affairs.”

  “Of certainty I do. It is because these things I know that I am able to help you plan Rudolph’s return. I am an honest man. I do not like it that one of you is not honest. That one of you pretends only that he wishes Rudolph to return. I do not like it that he is brought here only to be killed. I particularly do not like it that one of you kills poor Theo by mistake.”

  Janssen spoke up suddenly. “Herr Dorp, there is one question you must answer. Why did you give that envelope to Theo? Everything starts from that point.”

  “I am asking the questions,” Dorp reminded him coldly. “Remember that. Which of you killed Theo?”

  Silence alone answered him.

  “I could tell him,” Johnnie muttered.

  Trudy put her finger to her lips.

  “If that is not to be answered by you, I do not anticipate the consequences. Not pleasurably for you. I and my men will—”

  Trudy let out her breath. Someone had knocked on the front door. The knock was repeated.

  “See who this is, Joe,” Dorp frowned.

  Joe opened the door. Whoever Trudy had been expecting, this wasn’t it. Nor was it the Marines.

  It was Rudolph.

  3.

  It was Rudolph, a Rudolph with a satisfied canary-filled expression on his vacant face and his long cigarette holder angled in his mouth. No one expected him. The lower stair delegation reared forward as one man. Ruprecht and Johnnie grabbed Trudy’s arm just in time to keep her from tumbling on her head. Disappointment was fluctuating with amazement on her face. Dorp’s mouth was wondrous. But he didn’t forget to keep the gun pointed at his prisoners.

  Magda recovered first. “Rudolph! Where have you been?”

  “I was hungry,” he said blandly.

  “We had supper prepared.”

  He lifted supercilious eyebrows. “There was no chile. I told you I wanted some chile.”

  “But how did you get out?”

  He frowned at her stupidity. “How do you think? On wings? I walked out the front door, of course. And I found a nice little restaurant, open all night, on the next street. Strange. The man who runs it is from Rudamia. Hans—”

  “Your bags?” Dorp demanded. “What did you do with your bags?”

  “Aren’t they here? I told that guard to watch them.” He was annoyed. “What are you doing with that gun, Dorp? I brought them down myself. It was almost time to go to the airport. I left them by the halltree there.”

  Johnnie peered through the banisters. They were there all right. Only everyone here, inspired by a dumb private from Texas, was so certain that Rudolph had flown the roost they hadn’t bothered to look in the dark passageway.

  Dorp too had glanced. “They are there. Please to join the others on the stairs, Rudolph.”

  “What for? Aren’t we going to La Guardia field? Do you mean no one yet gave up the papers you were stewing about?”

  “You haven’t been to Washington?” Ferenz asked anxiously.

  “How silly.” Rudolph dropped ashes. “How could I get to Washington and back in less than an hour, Furry? I went to eat some chile. Hans didn’t have chile but he had sauerbraten and some good beer. What about those papers?”

  “They have not been recovered,” Dorp said. “The important part of them is still missing. If you will now obey please and take your place on the stairs.”

  “I don’t know why anyone would want to sit on the stairs. And I don’t know why you’re wasting time this way.”

  “I am not wasting time.” Dorp’s lip protruded. “I am finding the murderer of Theo.”

  “He probably killed himself,” Rudolph offered. “From chagrin.”

  “With what? His fingernails?”

  “All right, he didn’t.” Rudolph elbowed past Ferenz on the lower step, shook off Magda’s fingers and continued climbing.

  Dorp roared, “You are not to go upstairs.”

  Rudolph turned in annoyance. “I don’t know why not. If Rupe can sit upstairs, why can’t I?”

  Trudy groaned.

  Dorp lifted his eyes. “Sooo? So you are here. Even our soldier friend is yet with us. You will join the others down here if you please.”

  “The hell we will,” Johnnie said pleasantly. He shook off Trudy’s fingers and rose up. His hand went into his pocket, came out with the cigar. He put it to his mouth. “See this? Know what it is? It’s what you’ve been calling papers all night. It isn’t papers.”

  “It’s a cigar,” Rudolph said.

  “It isn’t a cigar. It’s a neat job. I’m in the Army. I know about these things.” He put it closer to his teeth. “And I’m the guy who knows how to pull the pin. And if you don’t drop that gun, I’ll pull it.”

  “Blow us all up?” Mike shouted.

  Johnnie felt very brave and patriotic at the moment. “Rather than let these Nazis loose, yes!” He apologized quickly, “Sorry, Mike. Okay, Dorp. One—two—”

  Dorp let the gun fall. He didn’t like doing it.

  “Get it, Mike,” Johnnie called. “And the rest of you hold still. One wiggle and—”

  Mike had recovered the gun. With it in hand he waved the two workman into the lower stair group. He growled, “All right, Dorp. Get over.”

  Dorp said, “You are making a mistake. I work for the F. B. I.”

  “Oh yeah?” Johnnie could think of nothing more devastating to say at the moment.

  “That is true, Private Johnnie Brown. Joe and Jorge here are members of the F. B. I. I help them. They help me. They have been waiting all evening outside to apprehend some of these people. Even now while I have talked, it was just that we must wait until the cars arrive to convey these enemy aliens to headquarters where questioning will be more successful.”

  Johnnie held the bomb handy. “Watch that door, Mike,” he warned. “If any more of Dorp’s F. B. I. gets here, let them have it. I guess you think I’d fall for anything, Pudgey, just because I’m from Texas. If those guys were really F. B. I. they wouldn’t have jumped Mike.”

  “They don’t know he’s a cop. I don’t know myself what he is. Anyone can borrow a uniform. He has behaved rather exceptional since he has arrived.” He looked from Magda to Mike. Mike scuffed a toe. Dorp turned again to Johnnie. “Your motives are admirable, Private Brown, but you make a mistake. If I were not what I say I could have shot you when first you showed the bomb to me.”

  “And risk it exploding?” Ferenz squealed.

  “That would not happen until the pin is pull
ed, or in due time is dissolved.”

  Johnnie sent it solid. “You know all about it, Herr Dorp.”

  “Yes, indeed,” he said proudly. “I examined the envelope when first it came to me. I prised away the seals, saw what it contained.”

  “And didn’t call the cops,” Johnnie snapped.

  “No. I have the evidence. That will not run away.” He scowled. “So I think.” His head nodded. “I do not wish the cops; the F. B. I. and myself will take care of matters when all the elements have come together. But I do not risk being asked to hand over the envelope prematurely. It is possible someone suspect I am not what I seem. It is possible that the envelope is taken from me, the envelope which will blow him up, and given to Rudolph; then him secreted away while I am at Mr. Lessering’s. I do not wish Rudolph to be hurt. He is what you call the innocent bystander.” He scowled ferociously. “It is others whom I and the Department of Justice wish to apprehend.”

  His shoulders shrugged. “I give the envelope to Theo—the misguided youth who plays with fire, an enemy patriot—no one will suspect he has it. He is too unimportant for that. If I am asked for it I will say it is not with me. We will all return to my house where my men watch outside. I will keep Rudolph safe while I bag the traitors.”

  “If you were going to bag them, why didn’t you?” Johnnie demanded. “What have you been waiting for all night—Christmas?”

  “Interruptions!” Dorp exploded. “Interruptions! First Rudolph must go to the party. Before my men arrive he must leave. When finally we manage to bring him back, the evidence is missing. Then Theo is killed. Comings and goings, comings and goings, but no evidence.” He demanded, “And how did you get it?”

  “Trudy hooked it out of Theo’s pocket,” Johnnie grinned. “She gave it to me for the same reason you gave it to Theo, no one would suspect me of having it.”

  She glared at him. “You told me there was nothing in it but the papers.”

  “There was, though.” He grinned to his ears now. “I unsealed the seals just like Dorp and then I sealed it up again. Rudolph watched me.” He scowled. “Only I kept the evidence on me. Wanted to make sure nobody got hurt. It didn’t make any difference to me what happened to the goon but I didn’t want the Clipper blown up. Nobody but a Nazi would think of anything as awful as blowing up a Clipper just to get rid of one guy. Only maybe the guy wasn’t the important thing. Maybe the whole deal was just to blow up the Clipper and whoever was on it this morning.”

  “That’s smart figuring,” Joe of the pulled down hat admitted. “Imagine the stink if an American Clipper exploded with important politicians aboard.”

  He talked as if he knew something. He didn’t talk like a street worker at all. Johnnie squinted at what was visible of the face.

  Trudy pulled his sleeve. “Johnnie.”

  Out of the side of his mouth, like a gangster, he shot, “Don’t bother me. Can’t you see I’m busy?”

  “Johnnie,” she clarioned. “Tell Mike to open that door and start blowing his police whistle. Tell him to keep blowing it until help comes.” She called down, “Can you hold the gun and blow at the same time, Mike?”

  “Watch me.” He flung the door wide. Daylight was gray outside. Mike stepped into the opening, stood facing the staircase as he began to shrill.

  Ruprecht sighed. “This calls for refreshments, Johnnie. We still have our bottles upstairs. I’ll get them.”

  “Wait,” Dorp cried. “Do not let him escape.”

  “He’s going for our champagne.” Johnnie shouted with what he hoped was sufficient frigidity above the din.

  “You’re in the groove.” Rupe pounded his shoulder.

  Trudy said “Eeow,” and rubbed where he had passed her.

  “Don’t squeal. See you soon, baby mine. Here’s your popgun. Be good or you won’t share the rations.”

  A man had appeared in the doorway behind Mike. He was just an ordinary homely guy in a dark suit with sleepy eyes. “What the hell are you doing here, Mike?” he demanded.

  Mike said, “Didn’t expect to draw you, Lefty.”

  Lefty came on into the room, looked tentatively at the haul. He didn’t glance up the stairs until Trudy called, “Lefty, where have you been?”

  His face was sour. “Where have I been? I been in that damn doorway across the street ever since seven o’clock last night. Ever since I talked to you in the basement.”

  The faces below weren’t faces. They were big blanks.

  “All ready to close in and what happens? You signal me, don’t come.”

  “That was because Rudolph insisted on going out.”

  “Back you come. Signal stand by. I stand by. What happens? No signal.”

  “Ferenz was coming. I knew it wouldn’t do any good to signal while he was here. He’d just get all his Washington bigwig friends to get the Nazis off.”

  “Why, Trudy.” Ferenz was hurt.

  “I wanted to get rid of him first. But then things got too bad. Rudolph disappeared. And I signaled you and you didn’t come and didn’t come—”

  “I fell asleep,” Lefty admitted glumly. “Even a police lieutenant gets sleepy after a fifty-two hour shift.” He took a more thorough dig at the assemblage. “Okay. Do we run them all in?” His face brightened. “Hi there, Joe. Jorge. You guys on business?”

  Dorp was giggling. “It is very funny. I have my men waiting. And you too, Trudy. A double guard.” He shook his finger. “I always knew you were a good girl in the heart.”

  Johnnie said, “They say they’re F. B. I.’s.”

  “Who are you?” Lefty demanded. “Sure they’re F. B. I.’s.”

  Johnnie’s grip on the bomb weakened. “Dorp too?” Lefty couldn’t be a phony; Mike knew him.

  Lefty said, “How do, Professor Dorp. Didn’t see you at first in the crowd.”

  Johnnie repeated wanly, “Is Dorp F. B. I. too?” He hoped Ruprecht would get back fast with the champagne. He needed it.

  “I am a military secret,” Dorp stated proudly.

  “That’s about right,” Lefty agreed. “Well, I guess we aren’t needed here, Mike. Not with the Feds on the job.”

  Johnnie still couldn’t trust. He didn’t want Mike to leave. He shouted quick, “Tell him about the murder.”

  “Yeah, murder,” Mike remembered. “Only no body.” He scratched his head. “We never got to finish looking, Johnnie. Say, there’s some cars stopping out front.”

  “Our fellows,” Joe nodded.

  “How about asking them to wait,” Lefty requested. “Murder. I’d like a crack at this bunch before you take them in. Maybe if I solve a murder I’ll get boosted to Inspector.”

  “Mike’s done all the work,” Johnnie yelled. “You got to make him a lieutenant or I won’t tell you who did it.”

  Mike spoke placatingly. “He’s my friend, Lefty. You know who did it, Johnnie?”

  “I know how to find out,” he said. “Only first I want to know who put the bomb in that letter.”

  “Bomb!” Lefty popped. “Mike, call the bomb squad quick.”

  Dorp bowed. “If you will give it to me, Private Brown. Any minute now it might explode. The Clipper left one hour ago, you know.”

  Rudolph sprang to life. “Why am I not on it?”

  Magda sighed from her toes. “For God’s sake.”

  “We got a better idea for you,” Joe told him.

  Dorp said, “If you will but carefully pass to me the bomb, Private Brown.”

  “I don’t know.” Johnnie examined it cautiously. He still wasn’t certain about Dorp.

  “You’d better give it to him, Johnnie,” Trudy urged.

  “Give it to him,” Janssen insisted.

  Ferenz pouted. “Make him give it to you, Dorp.”

  “We will all be blown up,” Ottomkopf said hoarsely.

  Jorge bounded up the steps. “I’ll take care of it, soldier.” He grabbed it, bounded down again and out the door.

  Everyone but Johnnie sighed relief. He sa
id. “Now I got nothing to protect myself with.” He did have. The murderer’s gun.

  “I’ll protect you,” Mike promised. “Now, who killed Theo?”

  Johnnie sat down on the top step. Rupe was sure taking his time. “First let’s find out who fixed the bomb.” The sea of faces was annoyed with him. “Well, why not? I got to be back in camp in the morning. I want to know what this is all about. You know it’ll be censored out of the newspapers. How can I fight a war if I got to be worrying about this thing for the duration? Besides the same person did both. Both were jobs to kill Rudolph.”

  Rudolph said simply, “I wish I’d stayed in Mexico.”

  “So do I,” Magda sighed.

  Trudy said, “If I’d learned sooner what was up, I’d have seen that you stayed there, Rudolph.”

  “Traitor,” said Magda.

  “Are you admitting you knew it was a Nazi plot?” Trudy demanded.

  The F. B. I. and New York’s finest both moved in closer.

  “Don’t talk that way to her.” Janssen’s arm went around Magda’s shoulders.

  Rudolph squealed, “Take your hands off my betrothed.”

  Janssen ignored him.

  Dorp spoke calmly. “It was Magda gave me that envelope.”

  Her voice rose swiftly. “Ottomkopf gave it to me.”

  Ottomkopf was apoplectic. “You cannot accuse me. I did not open the envelope. I did not know what I carried when I came to this house. Ferenz Lessering asked me to bring it to Dorp. Magda took it from me here.”

  “Yes,” Ferenz nodded. “Yes, I gave it to Ottomkopf to carry. Janssen had brought it to me. He had an important guard meeting. He could not convey it to Herr Dorp.”

  Janssen said quickly, “I picked it up for Herr Dorp at our Brooklyn headquarters.”

  “Ring around the rosy,” Trudy sang.

  Magda spoke up nastily. “Don’t forget Trudy handled it.”

  “That does not work.” Dorp shook his head. “I had opened it before she took it.”

  “Perhaps,” Magda agreed. “But you did not open it at once. You put it on the desk in your room while you conferred with Ottomkopf.”

  “How do you know?” Trudy asked. “You can’t black-wash me, wench. If I’d filched it then I wouldn’t have had to pick Theo’s pocket tonight.”