The other men wheeled sharply, on the alert. She stopped, head bent, listening.

[Pg 128]

[Pg 128]

“Patrick—the damned fool.” It was Williams. “Told to watch the causeway and standing up there like a lighthouse.”

“Oh, it’s your man. I’ll go down and tell him.” Shine wanted to help all he could before his retirement to the butler’s bedroom. “He ought to be where he won’t show, is that it?”

“Yes, tell him to stow his carcass somewhere out of sight. He ain’t there to advertise the fact he’s on guard.”

“If he gets in the shadow under the roof of the boat-house,” said Bassett, “he can command the whole length of it and not be seen from either side.”

“That’s the dope. The neck of this bottle’s the causeway and it’s going to be corked good and tight to-night.”

Anne’s door closed without a sound.

The three men turned back from the entrance. “Is that woman gone up-stairs yet?” Rawson murmured to his assistant as Williams stepped to the middle of the room and watched the gallery. [Pg 129]He continued to watch it till Flora and Miss Pinkney appeared and finally were shut away behind their several doors, then he looked at Rawson and nodded.

[Pg 129]

“Now,” said the district-attorney to Bassett, “I want you to show me where that pistol was.”

Bassett indicated the desk:

“In the third drawer of the desk. Miss Pinkney is certain it was there this morning.”

“And you know it wasn’t there when you looked after the shooting?” Rawson went to the desk as he spoke.

“I can swear it wasn’t.”

Rawson pulled out the drawer and thrust in his hand.

“Well, it’s here now,” he said, and drew out a revolver.

He held it toward them on his palm. They stared at it, for the moment too surprised for comment. Rawson broke it open; there was one empty chamber.

 Prev. P 54/131 next