Ellery Queen's Crime Cruise Round the World Read online

  Be a modern Magellan of mystery. Circumnavigate the globe and discover a new world of excitement, wonder, suspense, and surprise. Your itinerary will take you from the U.S. down the Atlantic Coast to Mexico and Argentina, across the Atlantic to England, Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium, France, and Italy, then to Africa, Israel, and Australia, north to Japan and Hawaii, and home again, across the Pacific, to the United States. A world trip featuring 26 adventures and excitements you will never forget.

  ABOUT THE EDITOR

  Ellery Queen (Frederic Dannay and the late Manfred B. Lee) has sold, in various editions published by approximately 100 publishers around the world, a total of more than 150,000,000 copies. Queen books have been translated into every major foreign language except Russian and Chinese.

  Ellery Queen popularized the mystery drama on radio in a program called The Adventures of Ellery Queen, which was on the air for nine years; and in 1950 TV Guide gave the Ellery Queen TV program its national award for the best mystery show on television. In 1975-1976, the most recent TV program starred Jim Hutton as Ellery, and David Wayne as Inspector Queen.

  Ellery Queen has won five Edgars (the annual Mystery Writers of America awards similar to the Oscars of Hollywood), including the prestigious Grand Master award (1960); three MWA Scrolls and one Raven; and twice Queen was runner-up for the Best Novel of the Year award. He also has won both the gold and silver Gertrudes awarded by Pocket Books, Inc. Mystery Writers of Japan gave Ellery Queen their gold-and-onyx Edgar Allan Poe ring, awarded to only five non-Japanese detective-story writers throughout the world. In 1968 lona College honored Queen with its Columba Prize in Mystery. In 1978, And On the Eighth Day won the Grand Prix de Litterature Policiere, and in 1979, the first Ellery Queen novel, The Roman Hat Mystery, celebrated its 50th Anniversary in print.

  Frederic Dannay

  (Photo: Mort Engel)

  Ellery Queen’s most recent successes are A Fine and Private Place and The Last Woman in His Life. He is internationally known as an editor—Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine is now in its 41st year of continuous publication.

  The late Anthony Boucher, distinguished critic and novelist, described Queen best when he wrote: “Ellery Queen is the American detective story.”

  The Dial Press

  1 Dag Hammarskjold Plaza

  New York, New York 10017

  Printed in the USA

  CRIME CRUISE

  ROUND THE WORLD

  Novels by Ellery Queen

  The Roman Hat Mystery

  The French Powder Mystery

  The Dutch Shoe Mystery

  The Greek Coffin Mystery

  The Egyptian Cross Mystery

  The American Gun Mystery

  The Siamese Twin Mystery

  The Chinese Orange Mystery

  The Spanish Cape Mystery

  Halfway House

  The Door Between

  The Devil To Pay

  The Four of Hearts

  The Dragon’s Teeth

  Calamity Town

  There Was an Old Woman

  The Murderer Is a Fox

  Ten Days’ Wonder

  Cat of Many Tails

  Double, Double

  The Origin of Evil

  The King Is Dead

  The Scarlet Letters

  The Glass Village

  Inspector Queen’s Own Case (November Song)

  The Finishing Stroke

  The Player on the Other Side

  And On the Eighth Day

  The Fourth Side of the Triangle

  A Study in Terror: Sherlock Holmes versus Jack the Ripper

  Face to Face

  Books of Short Stories by Ellery Queen

  The Adventures of Ellery Queen

  The New Adventures of Ellery Queen

  The Casebook of Ellery Queen

  Calendar of Crime

  Q.B.I. : Queen’s Bureau of Investigation

  Queens Full

  Edited by Ellery Queen

  Challenge to the Reader

  101 Years’ Entertainment

  Sporting Blood

  The Female of the Species

  The Misadventures of Sherlock Holmes

  Rogues’ Gallery

  Best Stories from EQMM

  To the Queen’s Taste

  The Queen’s Awards, 1946-1953

  Murder by Experts

  20th Century Detective Stories

  Ellery Queen’s Awards, 1954-1957

  The Literature of Crime

  Ellery Queen’s Mystery Annuals: 13th-16th

  Ellery Queen’s Anthologies: 1960-1981

  The Quintessence of Queen (Edited by Anthony Boucher)

  To Be Read Before Midnight

  EQ’s Mystery Mix

  EQ’s Double Dozen

  EQ’s 20th Anniversary Annual

  EQ’s Crime Carousel

  EQ’s All-Star Lineup

  Poetic Justice EQ’s Mystery Parade

  EQ’s Murder Menu

  EQ’s Minimysteries

  EQ’s Grand Slam

  EQ’s The Golden 13

  EQ’s Headliners

  EQ’s Mystery Bag

  EQ’s Crookbook

  EQ’s Murdercade

  EQ’s Crime Wave

  EQ’s Searches and Seizures

  EQ’s A Multitude of Sins

  EQ’s Scenes of the Crime

  EQ’s Circumstantial Evidence

  EQ’s Crime Cruise Round the World

  Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine (41st Year)

  Ellery Queen’s International Case Book

  The Woman in the Case

  Critical Works by Ellery Queen

  The Detective Short Story

  Queen’s Quorum

  In the Queens’ Parlor

  Under the Pseudonym of Barnaby Ross

  The Tragedy of X

  The Tragedy of Y

  The Tragedy of Z

  Drury Lane’s Last Case

  35th

  Mystery

  Annual

  ELLERY

  QUEEN’S

  CRIME CRUISE

  ROUND THE WORLD

  26 stories from

  Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine

  Edited by

  Ellery Queen

  THE DIAL PRESS

  DAVIS PUBLICATIONS, INC.

  380 LEXINGTON AVENUE

  NEW YORK, N.Y. 10018

  Copyright © 1978, 1979, 1981 by Davis Publications, Inc.

  All rights reserved.

  Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 81-66407

  Printed in the United States of America

  First Edition

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  The editor hereby makes grateful acknowledgment to the following authors and authors’ representatives for giving permission to reprint the material in this volume:

  T. M. Adams for Short Week, © 1979 by T. M. Adams.

  Julian Bach Literary Agency, Inc. for Behind the Locked Door by Peter Lovesey, © 1979 by Peter Lovesey.

  Bonaparte Holdings Pty. Ltd. and Hope Leresche & Sayle for Wisp of Wool and Disk of Silver by Arthur W. Upfield, © 1979 by Davis Publications, Inc.

  Georges Borchardt, Inc. for On the Path by Ruth Rendell, © 1978 by Ruth Rendell.

  Curtis Brown, Ltd. for The Ledbetter Syndrome by Stanley Ellin, © 1979 by Stanley Ellin.

  James Brown Associates, Inc. for The Boiler by Julian Symons, © 1979 by Julian Symons.

  Borden Deal for You Understand?, © 1979 by The Borden Deal Family Trust (Borden Deal, Trustee).

  Editions OPTA for The Prisoners by Jacques Catalan, © 1976 by Jacques Catalan.

  Celia
Fremlin for A Lovely Morning To Die, © 1979 by Celia Fremlin.

  Brian Garfield for Scrimshaw, © 1979 by Brian Garfield.

  Laura Grimaldi for Affirmation of Truth, © 1973 by Laura Grimaldi.

  Edward D. Hoch for The Theft of Yesterday’s Newspaper, © 1979 by Edward D. Hoch.

  International Creative Management for Is Anyone There? by Timothy Childs, © 1979 by Timothy Childs.

  Clements Jordan for Mr. Sweeney’s Day, © 1979 by Clements Jordan.

  Seicho Matsumoto for The Woman Who Took the Local Paper, © 1979 by Seicho Matsumoto.

  Florence V. Mayberry for When Nothing Matters, © 1979 by Florence V. Mayberry.

  Scott Meredith Literary Agency, Inc. for A Place of Her Own by Joyce Harrington, © 1979 by Joyce Harrington; and Mr. Fixit by Ernest Savage, © 1978 by Ernest Savage.

  Robert P. Mills, Ltd. for The Oldest Law by John F. Suter, © 1979 by John F. Suter.

  Frits Remar for The Photo, © 1977 by Frits Remar.

  Georges Simenon for The Man from Out There, © 1963 by Georges Simenon.

  Larry Sternig Literary Agency for The Midnight Strangler by Jack Ritchie, © 1978 by Jack Ritchie.

  Janwillem van de Wetering for The Deadly Egg, © 1979 by Janwillem van de Wetering.

  Kathryne Walters Literary Agents for The Big Ivory by Victor Milán, © 1979 by Victor Milán.

  Donald E. Westlake for The Girl of My Dreams, © 1979 by Donald E. Westlake.

  Donald A. Yates for The Two Kings and the Two Labyrinths by Jorge Luis Borges, translated by Donald A. Yates, © 1962 by Davis Publications, Inc.

  ITINERARY

  INTRODUCTION: A Briefing

  North America

  UNITED STATES

  The Theft of Yesterday’s Newspaper—Edward D. Hoch

  The Midnight Strangler—Jack Ritchie

  Mr. Fixit—Ernest Savage

  The Girl of My Dreams—Donald E. Westlake

  A Place of Her Own—Joyce Harrington

  MEXICO

  You Understand?—Borden Deal

  South America

  ARGENTINA

  The Two Kings and the Two Labyrinths—Jorge Luis Borges

  Europe

  ENGLAND

  Behind the Locked Door—Peter Lovesey

  On the Path—Ruth Rendell

  A Lovely Morning to Die—Celia Fremlin

  The Boiler—Julian Symons

  DENMARK

  The Photo—Frits Remar

  THE NETHERLANDS

  The Deadly Egg—Janwillem van de Wetering

  BELGIUM

  The Man from Out There—Georges Simenon

  FRANCE

  The Prisoners—Jacques Catalan

  ITALY

  Affirmation of Truth—Laura Grimaldi

  Africa

  The Big Ivory—Victor Milán

  Asia Minor

  ISRAEL

  When Nothing Matters—Florence V. Mayberry

  Australia

  Wisp of Wool and Disk of Silver—Arthur W. Upfield

  Asia

  JAPAN

  The Woman Who Took the Local Paper—Seicho Matsumoto

  HAWAII

  Scrimshaw—Brian Garfield

  North America

  UNITED STATES

  Mr. Sweeney’s Day—Clements Jordan

  Is Anyone There?—Timothy Childs

  Short Week—T.M. Adams

  The Oldest Law—John F. Suter

  The Ledbetter Syndrome—Stanley Ellin

  CONTENTS

  Cover

  Descriptions

  Novels by Ellery Queen

  Title Page

  Copyright

  Contents

  Introduction

  Edward D. Hoch

  The Theft of Yesterday’s Newspaper

  Jack Ritchie

  The Midnight Strangler

  Ernest Savage

  Mr. Fixit

  Donald E. Westlake

  The Girl of My Dreams

  Joyce Harrington

  A Place of Her Own

  Borden Deal

  You Understand?

  Jorge Luis Borges

  The Two Kings and the Two Labyrinths

  Peter Lovesey

  Behind the Locked Door

  Ruth Rendell

  On the Path

  Celia Fremlin

  A Lovely Morning to Die

  Julian Symons

  The Boiler

  Frits Remar

  The Photo

  Janwillem van de Wetering

  The Deadly Egg

  Georges Simenon

  The Man from Out There

  Jacques Catalan

  The Prisoners

  Laura Grimaldi

  Affirmation of Truth; or, Justice Done

  Victor Milán

  The Big Ivory

  Florence V. Mayberry

  When Nothing Matters

  Arthur W. Upfield

  Wisp of Wool and Disk of Silver

  Seicho Matsumoto

  The Woman Who Took the Local Paper

  Brian Garfield

  Scrimshaw

  Clements Jordan

  Mr. Sweeney’s Day

  Timothy Childs

  Is Anyone There?

  T. M. Adams

  Short Week

  John F. Suter

  The Oldest Law

  Stanley Ellin

  The Ledbetter Syndrome

  INTRODUCTION

  Dear Reader:

  Be a modern Magellan of mystery. Circumnavigate the globe and discover a new world of excitement, wonder, suspense, and surprise.

  Here is the itinerary of your Round-the-World ’Tec Tour. Bon Voyage!

  You start by visiting five cities in the United States—Hoch, Ritchie, Savage, Westlake, and Harrington.

  Then a quick side-trip to Mexico—to Deal.

  Before spanning the Atlantic, there is a stopover in Argentina—at Borges.

  Then overseas to England where you will stay in Lovesey, Rendell, Fremlin, and Symons.

  From England to Remar, in Denmark.

  Then hop south to van de Wetering, in The Netherlands.

  South again to connect with Simenon in Belgium.

  Still farther south to Catalan in France.

  You continue your Grand Tour by visiting Italy where you have reservations at Grimaldi.

  By air to Milan in East Africa.

  On to Mayberry in Israel.

  Then the long journey to the bush in Australia, sightseeing in Upfield.

  Next you head north to Japan where, after enjoying the hospitality of Matsumoto, you cross the Pacific, stopping over at Garfield in Hawaii, and finish your globe-trotting back in the United States—in Jordan, Childs, Adams, Suter, and Ellin.

  Six continents—13 countries—26 stops—and welcome home from your Crime Cruise Round the World!

  ELLERY QUEEN,

  Travel Agent

  North America

  UNITED STATES

  Hoch

  Ritchie

  Savage

  Westlake

  Harrington

  MEXICO

  Deal

  Edward D. Hoch

  The Theft of Yesterday’s Newspaper

  Nick Velvet is a unique thief—and in a sense, a unique detective. As a thief, Nick steals only the valueless, the worthless—“never money or jewels or art treasures”—and for a minimum fee of $20,000 (inflation has not yet reared its ugly head). But to be a successful thief it is usually necessary for Nick to solve a mystery, thus becoming a detective with a unique purpose—a detective whose aim is not to uphold the law but to break it.

  In this caper-case Nick is hired to steal a copy of yesterday’s newspaper—and usually there is nothing so dead (worthless) as yesterday’s newspaper. But then there was the mystery to solve: why should a copy of yesterday’s newspaper be worth $20,000?. . .

  Nick Velvet slid a stack of chips across the green felt of the roulette table on the top floor of Londo
n’s Playboy Club and waited for the wheel to be spun by a pert blonde girl with long legs and perfect teeth.

  “So much, Nicky?” Gloria asked cautiously at his side.

  “I’ve a hunch black is due to come up.”

  But as the girl spun the wheel, Nick’s attention was distracted by a stout man on his right. The man thrust something into his hand and when Nick looked down he saw it was a check drawn on a London bank in an amount approximately equal to twenty thousand American dollars. It was payable to Nick Velvet and signed by someone named Felix Poland. “That’s better than a calling card,” Nick commented.

  “I thought so,” the man said with a smile. His eyes were deep and alert, though the wrinkles around them hinted at an age past 50. “You see my name there. May we talk business?”

  “It would be a pleasure, Mr. Poland.”

  Gloria was tugging at his sleeve. “Nicky, we won!”

  “Great! Scoop up the money and keep playing. I have to go chat with this man.” He slipped the check into his wallet and followed Felix Poland to a lounge area at the end of the room.

  It was only eight o’clock, but Nick already knew it would be a profitable evening.

  Actually, their luck had been running well since Nick and Gloria arrived in London three days earlier. It was a vacation for them—replacing the dampness of January in Westchester with the dampness of January in London—and Nick had no thought of doing any work. But the weather on their arrival was unusually good, almost balmy, and their good fortune was compounded at the hotel which discovered it had no double room reserved for them and promptly put them in a three-room suite for the same price.

  Nick had been to London before and he enjoyed showing Gloria the sights, especially places like Buckingham Palace and the Regents Park Zoo which had figured in a previous adventure. They’d registered at some of the casinos when they arrived, and observed the two-day waiting period before being allowed to gamble. Finally this was their first gambling night, and judging by the unexpected check from Felix Poland their lucky streak was continuing.

  “How do you know my name?” Nick asked when he and Poland were settled at a corner table in the lounge.

  “I have contacts around London. Someone told me you were here and you’re just the man I need.” He sipped his drink and added, “The check is quite good, in the event you’re wondering.”