Now You See It... Part 66

"Help me," she asked in a feeble voice.

The Sheriff only stared at her.

"Guess you won't be going back to Harry Kendal now,"

he said, "or letting your brother drown at sea."

She obviously didn't comprehend what he was saying.

"Please," she begged.

"Looks like you and me Mister have killed each other off," he said.

His eyes were like stones.

"Leaving everything to Padre," he said. "And to whoever takes care of Padre."

He rose from the chair and walked around me desk.

Ca.s.sandra gasped.

From the waist up, he was wearing Sheriff Plum's clothes.

From the twist down, Ca.s.sandra's.

Her mouth tell open as she understood.

Too late.

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Brian came over and, kneeling, checked for her pulse beat.

There was none; she was gone.

He put her hand back down on me floor and stared at her.

Then sobbed.

"Did you ever care for anyone?" he asked.

He pressed his left hand over his eyes and began to cry harder.

I don't know how long he wept. It was a good while, though.

Finally, rubbing dry his eyes and cheeks, he drew in a long, bracing breath of air and stood.

Moving to the desk, he picked up the telephone and pressed the Operator b.u.t.ton. ,

As he waited, he began to peel away his Sheriff disguise.

"The Sheriff's office, please," he said. "This is an emer- gency."

He continued peeling off the disguise while he waited again.

Finally, me Sheriffs office answered. Brian asked for Plum and was connected.

"Sheriff Plum," he said. "My name is Brian Crane. I'm calling from the house of Maximilian and Ca.s.sandra Dela- corte on Medfield Road- Can you come here right away?"

He looked, stricken, at his dead sister,

"There's been a tragedy," he said.

chapter 28.

N rian sat in silence for at. least ten minutes, idly picking at the remainder of his Sheriff Plum facial disguise. He seemed to stare into his thoughts; never had I felt more in- visible.

Rising finally, he took off the Sheriff's shirt/revealing, un- derneath, Ca.s.sandra's pink blouse, which he also removed, revealing a sweat-laved T-shirt underneath. He took off the skirt he'd worn, me shoes and stockings. Beneath me skirt, he wore me trousers of Sheriff Plum.

Still, he did not look at me, his face expressionless. What- ever thoughts he had were so buried, they were not re- flected, even for an instant, on his face.

Barefoot, he moved to where Ca.s.sandra lay and looked down at her.

Abruptly, his face revealed all: incredulous sorrow, an- guish so complete it appeared as though he might lose con- trol.

He slumped to his knees beside her, taking hold of her

Now You SeeH... 213

limp right hand. The sob that broke in his chest wracked his

entire body.

"Why?" he asked, scarcely able to speak me word.

His head bowed and he wept again; for the sister he had

loved so deeply, yet had made no effort to save.

At last he raised his head and looked at me, eyes glistening.

"You never knew about us, did you. Padre?" he said.

"You only knew what Max told you and what little you

saw."

Slowly and gently, he stroked his sister's hand as he

spoke.

"Our father was an alcoholic," he said. "A failed vaude-

villian who didn't mellow with inebriation but turned vi- cious instead. Abused our mother and us." He bared his teeth momentarily. "And, in Ca.s.sandra's case.../'