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Page 14
"Oh, Jack, Jack!" she cried, "it is horrible, horrible! Eric is at his
solicitors' and they tell him that suspicion is bound to fall on
_him_! It's preposterous--unthinkable. It must have been some fiend
who committed such a crime, not a human being--"
"Then," I interrupted excitedly, "Coverly was not with you last
night?"
"No! That is the crowning tragedy of it all. He 'phoned me early in
the evening saying that he had an unavoidable business appointment to
keep. From the tone of his voice--"
She ceased speaking abruptly, and stared at me rather wildly.
"Isobel," I said, "you should surely know that you can trust your life
to me--and the life of any one dear to you."
She quickly laid her hand on my arm and her face flushed sweetly. I
fear I had infused my words with an ardor which exhibited at an
earlier and more opportune moment might have changed the course of
both our lives.
"Of course I know, Jack," she said. "But I am so frightened that I
distrust my very self. Well, then, I thought that I noticed a change
in Eric's manner last night--in the tone of his voice. In fact I asked
him if I had done anything of which he had disapproved." She gave me a
quick little embarrassed glance. "He is somewhat exacting, you know.
He laughed at the idea, but in rather a forced way, it seemed. Then he
arranged to meet me for lunch at the Carlton to-day."
"But surely he can satisfactorily account for his movements? He must
have been seen by those who know him."
Isobel frowned in a troubled manner that awakened strange, wild
longings.
"I cannot make it out," she replied. "He appears to be keeping
something back."
"He is very ill-advised. He will certainly have to make up his mind to
speak out when Inspector Gatton examines him. I cannot disguise from
you, Isobel, that the police know that Sir Marcus was at the New
Avenue last night, and since his death occurred some hours later the
nature of their suspicion is obvious enough. Are you joining him at
the solicitors', Isobel?"
"Yes, he asked me to do so."
"Then come along at once. I expect a Scotland Yard man to arrive at
any moment and it would be advisable to see Coverly and to take a
legal opinion before you give your testimony."
"But, Jack!" Isobel confronted me. "You don't think that I or Eric
have anything to hide?"
"Certainly not. You must know that I do not think so. But on the other
hand, the legal mind being used to considering problems of evidence, a
solicitor will be able to advise you of the best course to adopt, and
that most likely to result in your being spared all association with
the inquiry. Meanwhile--let us hurry. I prefer to give Inspector
Gatton my own account of this visit rather than to be discovered here
by him. He will learn from Marie that I have called, of course, but
that doesn't matter."
We had now quitted the flat and were descending the stairs. On
reaching the street I glanced sharply to right and left. But Gatton
was not in sight.
I secured a taxi at the corner and Isobel set out for the office of
Coverly's solicitor. I stood looking after the cab until it was out of
sight and then I set out to walk to the _Planet_ office. By the time
that I had reached Fleet Street I had my ideas in some sort of order
and I sat down to write the first of my articles on the "_Oritoga_
mystery"--for under that title the murder of Sir Marcus Coverly was
destined to figure as the _cause c�l�bre_ of the moment. I had more
than one reason for reticence and indeed I experienced no little
difficulty in preparing the requisite amount of copy without involving
Isobel and Eric Coverly. Half-way through my task I paused, laid down
my pen, and was on the point of tearing up the pages already written
and declining the commission at the eleventh hour.
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