Twenty-Two

Alden frowned when he saw me. Despite the fact that I had felt obliged to come and help him with the police, he seemed to resent my involvement. He entered and sat opposite Detective Whitbread after nodding to Fitz. He and Fitz had always been friendly. I wasn’t sure I approved of the connection, but neither man was bothered by my attitude.

Biting my lip, I concentrated on my notes. I was so relieved Alden had gone home to Clara the previous night that I felt I had to hide my glee. At least he hadn’t killed anyone. Someone had enticed Leeder into that cage and let the leopards loose on him, but it wasn’t Alden, despite the argument everyone had heard at the roadhouse. There was something else going on. There was something behind the deaths of Hyde, the censor, and Leeder, the producer, but it wasn’t Alden’s fault. It couldn’t be.

“Mr. Cabot,” Whitbread began formally. “You had an argument with Arnold Leeder last night. What was that about?”

Alden moved as if he were uncomfortable. “I don’t want to speak ill of the dead, but Leeder preyed on the ladies. Everyone knew it. He forced them to let him hang all over them or else he’d see to it they didn’t get the parts they wanted. It was sickening.”

“Was he threatening Miss Williams in that way?”

“Of course not. Kathlyn’s a big star. He was lucky to have her in the films he did. Everybody wants her.”

“What about you, then? Was he a threat to you?”

“He might have thought he was, but he was wrong. I’ve got an agreement with Selig and we’ll be working on something bigger than anything Leeder would ever do.”

At that moment, there was a knock on the door and Whitbread excused himself to go and have a discussion outside the room. Fitz rose to follow him. “It made you mad that Leeder was teasing Miss Williams about copper, didn’t it?” I said to Alden.

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Fitz look up with alarm from the doorway. He didn’t expect me to repeat so bluntly what he’d told us about Kathlyn Williams and the Montana Copper King. But I was tired of film people and their secrets. Alden needed to see what Kathlyn Williams really was, and I would not shrink from pointing it out to him. After a momentary hesitation over whether to follow my conversation or Whitbread’s, Fitz hustled out the door, closing it behind him.

I took advantage of the privacy to question my brother. “Fitz tells me Kathlyn Williams is associated with a man who’s known as the Copper King in Montana, where she came from. She doesn’t want that brought up in the divorce proceedings with her husband. Is that what made you pick a fight with Leeder?”

Alden turned in his chair, his face flushed. “Emily, just stop it. You have it in for Kathlyn, I can tell. What makes you think you’re so much better than her and the other film people? What makes you think you can look down your nose at them? You don’t know anything about these people or this business or how it works. You just think you’re so damned smart you know everything but you don’t.”

“I know that you’ve become obsessed with these film people. I know you’ve abandoned your job, your wife, and your children for this madness. But I don’t know who you are any more, Alden. I don’t recognize you. What’s come over you? Have you become mesmerized by all of this? Don’t you see how wrong it is? Wake up. Two men have been killed here. This is no wonderland, it’s a trap.” Knowing that he had an alibi for the previous night made it possible for me to attack him like this. I was relieved he couldn’t be guilty, but I was still very angry with him and couldn’t stop myself.

“You don’t know who I am because you never knew me,” Alden snapped. “You think you know everything, but you’re ignorant. There, I’ve said it. For all your book learning, you’re ignorant of the world in front of your face.”

“I’m ignorant? Book learning? It’s not book learning I’ve been doing these past years and you know it. I’ve been out there on the streets in the real world working with real people and real problems. The work I’ve done at Hull House, and with Detective Whitbread, and, yes, at the university, has been to help real people. All you want to do is make up stories and run around feeling important with these film stars. That may make you feel important, Alden. It may impress the children but, in fact, it’s a useless waste of talent. Real people, grown-up people like me and Clara and all the other people you despise at the university, we’re at least trying to do something, not just sitting around pretending all the time!”

Whitbread and Fitz came back through the door.

“My sister’s just accused me of being a useless waste,” Alden told them.

“I’ve done no such thing,” I said.

Whitbread put a hand up. “Enough. We need to conclude this interview. Mr. Cabot, we heard from Miss Williams that you accompanied her in her motorcar to her residence and then the same car took you to your home in Hyde Park. Is that correct?”

Alden frowned, restraining himself with difficulty. He wanted to continue his argument with me, but Whitbread had such authority over both of us that he endeavored to swallow his anger and answer. He looked like he was struggling to pull himself back to remember the events of the previous night. “Yes, I was driven home.”

“Fine. If you cannot shed any further light on the death of Mr. Leeder, you’re dismissed. For now, at least. Oh, one more thing. Were you aware that Mr. Swift has a wife and children in Maryland?”

“Well, yes, but nobody mentions it because he’s a romantic lead. It lets down the public if they know he’s already married, so it’s kept quiet.”

“Did you ever hear Mr. Leeder threaten to expose that fact?”

Alden thought for a minute. “No, but that’s just the sort of thing Leeder would do. He was unscrupulous.” He looked puzzled. “Usually he did that sort of thing with the girls, though. He’d find out something and threaten to let everyone know if they weren’t nice to him. That’s why they were all afraid of him. He was a slimy snake.”

“You wouldn’t be surprised if he did it to a man, however?”

“Not hardly. I sometimes wondered if he had something on Selig. He was nowhere near as good as Turner or Boggs or the other producers.”

“I see.”

“May I go?” Alden asked.

“Yes. For now.” Whitbread clasped his hands under his chin as he sat back in the chair.

“Alonzo Swift could have done it,” I said, when Alden was gone. “He could have snuck out after Babe fell asleep and come back up here to meet Leeder. He could have given him a sip from his flask. When Leeder passed out, he could have put him in the cage, locked up and left, getting back to the hotel before Babe woke up.” Angry as I was with Alden, I wanted to be sure Whitbread was thinking as I did. Alonzo Swift could have killed Leeder to prevent him from publicizing his marriage.

“What about Hyde?” Fitz asked.

“Well, Swift was in the same scenes as Kathlyn Williams. Maybe he was mad his scenes were censored. Maybe he was afraid he’d lose some of his roles if it kept happening. Maybe it wasn’t Kathlyn Williams that Hyde had a grudge against. Maybe Alonzo Swift was the man his wife ran away with.” I could see Alonzo Swift seducing a woman and then leaving her behind. I so much wanted it not to be my brother who’d shot the censor that I’d convinced myself that Swift was the one who deserved the blame. It was obvious he’d misled Babe Greer. I doubted she was the only young woman he’d deceived.

“It’s possible,” Whitbread said. “Miss Greer insists she was with him, although I can see that she could be mistaken. Or she might be excessively loyal. It’s necessary to pursue some inquiries at the Bedford. But do not forget that Olga and Big Otto also had opportunities and they’re much more familiar with the animals involved. I’ve just had a report on the search of their residences. The leopards were found at Miss Celeste’s apartment. They’re being returned to cages at the studios. One of our men was nearly mauled.”

Fitz looked downright sorrowful. The film people had disappointed him. Poor Fitz. But at least Alden was cleared. I decided I would go to Clara, as soon as I could get away, to let her know of Alden’s close call and to encourage her to keep him away from the film studios. First, I had to accompany Detective Whitbread as he investigated Alonzo Swift’s movements the night before at the Bedford Hotel.