Free The Origin of Evil by Ellery Queen

as’ — he craned, surveying the interior — ‘electric lights, a small electric range and refrigerator, and similar primitive devices; not to mention’ — he indicated a maze of pipes — ‘running water, a compact little privy connected with — I assume — a septic tank buried somewhere below, and so on. These things — forgive me, Mac — blow bugs through your logic. The only essential differences between your house and your stepfather’s are that yours is smaller and thirty feet in the air.’
    â€˜Just being practical,’ shrugged the giant. ‘It’s my opinion it’ll happen any day now. But I can be wrong — it may not come till next year. I’m just taking advantage of the civilized comforts while they’re still available. But you’ll notice I have a .22 rifle hanging there, a couple of .45s, and when my ammunition runs out or I can’t rustle any more there’s a bow that’ll bring down any deer that survives the party. I practise daily. And I’m getting pretty good running around these tree-tops —’
    â€˜Which reminds me,’ said Laurel. ‘Use your own trees after this, will you, Mac? I’m no prude, but a girl likes her privacy sometimes. Really, Ellery —’
    â€˜Macgowan,’ said Ellery, eyeing their host, ‘what’s the pitch?’
    â€˜Pitch? I’ve just told you.’
    â€˜I know what you’ve just told me, and it’s already out the other ear. What character are you playing? And in what script by whom?’ Ellery set the glass down and got to his feet. The effect he was trying to achieve was slightly spoiled, as he almost fell off the porch. He jumped to the side of the house, a little green. ‘I’ve been to Hollywood before.’
    â€˜Go ahead and sneer,’ said the brown giant without rancour. ‘I promise to give you a decent burial if I can find the component parts.’
    Ellery eyed the wide back for a moment. It was perfectly calm. He shrugged. Every time he came to Hollywood something fantastic happened. This was the screwiest yet. He was well out of it.
    But then he remembered that he was still in it.
    He put his hand in his pocket.
    â€˜Laurel,’ he said meaningly, ‘shall we go?’
    â€˜If it’s about that piece of paper I saw you find in Leander’s mattress,’ said young Macgowan, ‘I wouldn’t mind knowing myself what’s in it.’
    â€˜It’s all right, Ellery,’ said Laurel with an exasperated laugh. ‘Crowe is a lot more interested in the petty affairs of us dreamers than he lets on. And in a perverted sort of way I trust him. May I please see that note?’
    â€˜It isn’t the note you saw your father take from the collar of the dog,’ said Ellery, eyeing Macgowan disapprovingly as he took a sheet of paper from his pocket. ‘It’s a copy. The original is gone.’ The sheet was folded over once. He unfolded it. It was a stiff vellum paper, tinted green-grey, with an embossed green monogram.
    â€˜Daddy’s personal stationery.’
    â€˜From his night table. Where I also found this bicoloured pencil.’ Ellery fished an automatic pencil from his pocket. ‘The blue lead is snapped. The note starts in blue and ends in red. Evidently the blue ran out half-way through his copying and he finished writing with the red. So the pencil places the copying in his bedroom, too.’ Ellery held out the sheet. ‘Is this your father’s handwriting?’
    â€˜Yes.’
    â€˜No doubt about it?’
    â€˜No.’
    In a rather peculiar voice, Ellery said, ‘All right, Laurel. Read it.’
    â€˜But it’s not signed.’ Laurel sounded as if she wanted to punch somebody.
    â€˜Read it.’
    Macgowan knelt behind her, nuzzling her shoulder with his big chin. Laurel paid no attention to him; she read the note with a set