Speak of the Devil / The Obstinate Murderer

SPEAK OF THE DEVIL   When Karen Peterson first meets Mr. Fernandez on the cruise ship, he is so charming.  Still, when he offers her a job as hostess at his new island hotel, she accepts with a great deal of reluctance.  After all, charm can hide a multitude of flaws.  And when she meets her predecessor, the very young and headstrong Cecily, Miss Peterson is sure that she seems more than a mere employee.  Even the guests have their secrets—Mrs. Fish tells her that she is looking for her husband’s murderer at the hotel.   But that first night Cecily surprises them all by announcing that she has just killed a man who had attacked her in Mr. Fernandez’s room.  Later, one of the clerks tells Miss Peterson that he had seen the devil that night, stalking the hotel halls.  Then Mrs. Fish shows Karen a photo of her dead husband—who looks like the devil himself!  But nothing prepares Miss Peterson for murder, and that, of course, is just what comes next.   THE OBSTINATE MURDERER   Emilia Swan calls Van Cleef at his club and begs him to come to her aid.  Someone is blackmailing her.  Though he’d rather have another drink, he agrees to visit her.  But before he can leave he runs into the son of an old friend.  Russell Blackman, a supercilious young man with a gifted intellect, has the unfortunate habit of alienating everyone around him.  But he has always idolized Van Cleef, and agrees to drive him to Emilia’s country home if he can tag along.   When they arrive, they walk into a house filled with tension.  Since the death of her husband—some say suicide—Emilia has let out rooms in her house.  Staying with her are Major Bramwell, an irascible old gent who demands that they leave immediately; Annie and Harry Downes, neither of whom seem to like their hostess one bit; and Lizzy Carroll, a pale, sharp-featured girl who drives the Major to distraction with her loud music.  That night Harry is stricken with a serious stomach illness.  Russell thinks he’s been poisoned, but no one takes him seriously.  The next night, Van Cleef himself is nearly poisoned.  There is certainly more going on than mere blackmail, but will Van Cleef live long enough to figure out what it is?    3