Chapter 8
DAGGERKILLERESCAPES,FOUNDDEAD
Morris Deverell, arrested yesterday afternoon on murder charges, escaped the hospital where he was taken for treatment. Early this morning his body was found on the rocks below Sunset Point. Authorities believe that Deverell was hitchhiking and was struck by a passing motorist traveling at high speed. The driver did not stop at the scene. The impact sent the body over the edge of the bluff, where it was discovered.
Detective Archer of the Adelina Beach Police Department announced that, in addition to an extensive collection of antique daggers, several pieces of expensive photography equipment were discovered in Deverell’s large house on Pacific Lane.
When she finished the article in theAdelina Beach Courier, Vivianallowed herself a moment to admire the photo. It showed Roland Jennings in a classic Charles Atlas pose with his feet braced wide apart, one fist on his hip, the other holding Deverell aloft. She had written the caption for Eddy and he had used it unchanged. LOCALHEROCATCHESDAGGERKILLER.Per her customary demand, there was no photo credit. She was pretty sure the picture would go national.
The phone rang just as Vivian was about to turn to page two of the newspaper. She got up from the breakfast table and went into the studio to pick up the receiver.
“Is it true?” Lyra asked. “Is that horrible man really dead?”
“Yes,” Vivian said.
“Thank goodness. The San Francisco press is reporting that the police found a collection of daggers and a lot of expensive photography equipment in a locked room in his house. It’s just as you predicted, Viv.”
“I know. We can all relax now.”
“Luckily Mother and Father are still in London. I doubt if the news will make it into the British papers. Even if it does, your name doesn’t appear anywhere in the reports in the San Francisco papers. I checked all of them this morning. There’s a reference to the fact that the killer was arrested in Adelina Beach but his intended victim is described as a single woman living alone. It says the woman bravely drove off her attacker by throwing some strong household cleaning agent into his eyes.”
Vivian glanced at the front page of theAdelina Beach Courier. “That’s what the local paper says, too. It was Detective Archer’s idea to give the press that story. He was trying to protect me.”
“From what?”
“Archer understands that if my name gets into the papers, one thing will lead to another and sooner or later my night shift work as a photojournalist will become public knowledge. If that happens my art career will be doomed.”
“Fingers crossed that you can keep this quiet,” Lyra said.
“You sound doubtful.”
“Let’s just say I’m not hopeful.”
Vivian sighed. “At least the parents don’t know yet.”
“Sooner or later they will have to be told the truth,” Lyra warned.
“I know. I’ll tell them when they get home. By then the story will be old news.”
“That isn’t going to lessen the shock.”
“You know, I could really use a dose of optimism this morning. I didn’t sleep well last night. Every time I closed my eyes I saw Deverell coming at me with that damned dagger.”
“Oh, Viv, that’s horrible. Maybe you should come home to San Francisco, just for a while.”
Something in her voice sent a shiver of concern through Vivian.
“Lyra, what’s wrong?”
“What’s wrong?” Lyra’s voice rose. “I’ll tell you what’s wrong. You were nearly murdered yesterday afternoon. In case you weren’t aware of it, that sort of thing tends to rattle a sister’s nerves.”
“Okay, calm down.” Vivian sought for a distraction. “How are the plans for the engagement party going?”
“Fine.”
“Fine? That’s all you can say? You’re going to marry the man you’ve loved from afar ever since you were a young girl. You don’t sound particularly excited.”
“I’m still trying to deal with the fact that I almost lost my sister to a madman with a dagger yesterday. If our situations were reversed, how would you feel this morning?”
