pulling herself together for the grand-stand play she was to make or possibly pushing the body into the water. It was at this juncture that he suddenly cocked his head and let his hands drop softly to the arms of the chair. From the stairs outside came a [Pg 152]faint creak, a pause and then again, step by step a bare or stockinged foot in gradual descent. [Pg 152] The big man arose as noiselessly as he could and made for the hall. But his bulk and his boots were not adapted to rapid movements or silent surprise. As he reached the hall he heard the pattering flight of light feet and cursed under his breath as he felt for the electric button. Her room—the one he had seen Miss Pinkney put her in—was just beyond the stair-head to the right. And her husband’s—he turned and faced the secretive panels of its closed door. Williams dropped his head and trod thoughtfully back to the library, but this time he left the hall lights on. Also he lit the library ones and allowed himself the solace of a cigar. “She won’t try that again to-night,” he said to himself and dropped into an easy chair. Then Stokes must know. They had had opportunity for private conference in that hour after the murder when the others were out of the house. She had either told him or he had accused her; for [Pg 153]all they knew he might have seen her do it. Anyway she wanted to get speech with him and it might be support, counsel, the matching up of their stories—but whatever it was she must have been in dire straights to take such a risk. [Pg 153] Williams smoked on, comfortably sprawled in the deep chair, thinking out a line of attack on the Stokeses. [Pg 154] [Pg 154] XI The night search of the island had given up nothing and a daylight exploration was set for the morning. Before this, however, Rawson wanted to go through Miss Saunders’ room, which by his orders had been locked and left untouched. It occupied the corner of the second floor directly above the library, the first of the long line of bedchambers that stretched across the land front of the house. Their doors opened upon a hall that traversed the building from end to end, its central section forming one side of the gallery. The In her short stay the
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