Page 70
Story: Corpse at Captain's Seat
“We’re all fine. Jack, she was hit in the head with the hatchet.”
Jack swore very quietly. “When?”
“It must have just happened. We all heard her scream and ran downstairs. I found her in the passage that leads from the library. We think Edwin Dolph is in the house.”
“No.” Jack sounded absolutely certain.
“No?”
“No. Dolph’s body was found late yesterday evening. The current carried it down to the rocks below the lighthouse at Half Moon Bay.”
Ellery could think of nothing to say. Half Moon Bay was all the way on the other side of the island.
Into his silence, Jack added, “It might be better not to share that information.”
“But everyone’s scared out of their wits. I can’t let them go on thinking—”
Jack said austerely, “Not everyone.”
Ellery swallowed. Right. Because if Dolph hadn’t murdered Chelsea, someone—one of Ellery’s oldest friends—had.
Which was absolutely unthinkable.
Jack interrupted these painful reflections. “Ellery, I’m sorry to do this to you, but I need to see the—Chelsea’s body.”
Ellery closed his eyes. Opened them. “Okay.”
“I’m not going to be able to get anybody out there for a few hours. The road to Captain’s Seat is still not passable.”
“Yes. I know.”
“I’m s— Also, you’re going to have to secure the crime scene.”
“Right.”
“But first—”
“Yes.” Ellery continued to the door to the interior passageway.
“I’m going to need photos from as many angles as you can get.” Jack sounded insanely normal, even prosaic. “But be careful where you step and don’t touch anything, don’t move anything.” He added, “Don’tremoveanything, either.”
Ellery understood why Jack might think he needed that extra cautioning, and he did not take offense.
“Mm-hm.”
Feeling more than a little queasy, he took as many photos as he could, until Jack said he thought he had enough.
“Good. You’re doing great.”
Ellery had no response.
“You’re not going to like this,” Jack said. “But I want you to very lightly touch her inner wrist to check for temperature. Do not move her, do not disturb the scene any more than you have to.”
“Yes.” Ellery gritted his teeth, knelt, and delicately touched Chelsea’s upturned wrist. “Sorry,” he murmured, and then jerked his hand back in shock. “She’scool.”
“How cool?” Jack sounded startled.
“N-N-noticeably cool. But itjusthappened.”
Table of Contents
- Page 1
- Page 2
- Page 3
- Page 4
- Page 5
- Page 6
- Page 7
- Page 8
- Page 9
- Page 10
- Page 11
- Page 12
- Page 13
- Page 14
- Page 15
- Page 16
- Page 17
- Page 18
- Page 19
- Page 20
- Page 21
- Page 22
- Page 23
- Page 24
- Page 25
- Page 26
- Page 27
- Page 28
- Page 29
- Page 30
- Page 31
- Page 32
- Page 33
- Page 34
- Page 35
- Page 36
- Page 37
- Page 38
- Page 39
- Page 40
- Page 41
- Page 42
- Page 43
- Page 44
- Page 45
- Page 46
- Page 47
- Page 48
- Page 49
- Page 50
- Page 51
- Page 52
- Page 53
- Page 54
- Page 55
- Page 56
- Page 57
- Page 58
- Page 59
- Page 60
- Page 61
- Page 62
- Page 63
- Page 64
- Page 65
- Page 66
- Page 67
- Page 68
- Page 69
- Page 70
- Page 71
- Page 72
- Page 73
- Page 74
- Page 75
- Page 76
- Page 77
- Page 78
- Page 79
- Page 80
- Page 81
- Page 82
- Page 83
- Page 84
- Page 85
- Page 86
- Page 87
- Page 88
- Page 89
- Page 90
- Page 91