In the Onyx Lobby Part 23

Moore said he was in a quandary. Full of detective interest, he longed to work on the case, and felt sure he could be of use to the police, but the att.i.tude of Julie deterred him.

"You see, she's my girl," he said frankly to Corson. "And she does act queer! I don't understand her, but I can't dig into this thing and maybe run up against something she doesn't want me to!"

"You have faith in her own innocence, then?"

"Oh, yes,--that is, she wouldn't kill a man! And yet,--who can say that?

In a fit of anger a woman would do anything,--more especially, if she wasn't alone."

"What do you mean by that?"

"I mean a woman, working alone, would hardly dare to kill a man,--but, accompanied, maybe egged on by another woman, she'd be daredevil enough to----"

"Who would? Julie Baxter?" Corson flung the question at him.

"Yes," Moore declared, "Julie or any woman of her fierce, intense nature. I know Julie well, and I love her, and I'm going to see her through,--but it's quite in the picture that she knows something about this thing."

"You're pretty frank for a man engaged to----"

"That's just it! I'm going to save her from herself! Julie is stubborn,--she's positively pig-headed, if she takes a notion. Now, if she's keeping something back,--and she is,--it's to shield some friend, or,--or to shield herself; but not from conviction of crime,--rather from some circ.u.mstances that might falsely incriminate her--or some one else."

"But if she knows who did this thing----"

"Oh, she doesn't. At most, she only suspects. But I'll find out. She's my girl, and I'm going to discover the truth about her,--and then about the murder."

"Oho, you're going to be a detective!"

"Not so's you'd notice it. But I'm going to do a little sleuthing on the side and if I find out anything that will help justice along, I promise to tell you,--let the chips fall where they may."

"I haven't any too much faith in Moore's protestations," Corson confided to Gibbs. "He's crazy to be a detective, but he's afraid he'll catch his own girl in his net. That's the truth in a nutsh.e.l.l. I do think, though, he'd be good help to us, for he knows all about this house and its occupants, and I can't help thinking the murderers belong here."

"I don't think so," returned Gibbs. "I'm sure they are rank outsiders.

They were with him during those missing two hours and they followed him home, hoping to get what they were after,--black-mail, most likely, and then at the last minute opportunity presented itself and they killed him."

"Must have been prepared for it, as they had a weapon, used it deftly, and carried it off."

"They did that, and there's an important clew. None of those little chorus babes could have stabbed with that deft touch, which the doctor vows shows skilled medical or surgical knowledge."

"Maybe, and maybe it was a chance blow. Well, I'm going off on a new tack. I'm going up to see the dead man's people and get, if I can, some new angle on the case."

Corson went up to the Prall apartment and found the members of that household in a high state of excitement.

Miss Let.i.tia Prall paused in what was evidently an angry harangue and somewhat grudgingly accorded a greeting to the caller.

"Must you have an interview just now, Mr Corson?" she asked, acidly.

"I'm sure you know all we can tell you."

"I'm not sure of that, Miss Prall. There are, I think, some points yet to be cleared up."

"The whole case is yet to be cleared up. I can't see that you detectives have solved any part of the puzzle."

"I doubt it can be solved in parts. I think we must ferret about here and there and at last we will strike the truth all at once."

"Well, can't you go and strike it somewhere else?" spoke up the pert voice of Eliza Gurney. "We have much to attend to, with funeral arrangements and business matters."

"As to business matters, you are sole heir, I understand, Mr Bates?"

"Yes, I am so informed by the lawyer who has my uncle's will in his keeping," answered Richard, with an air of cold politeness.

"And you will take up the Bun business?"

"He will not," Miss Prall replied for him. "He will devote himself to his great work of inventing--Mr Bates is a genius and now he will have the means and the opportunity to carry on his life work."

"Just so. And you will be getting married?"

"Of course he will," Miss Prall still gave the responses; "not at present, of course, but as soon as he finds the right young lady----"

"He won't have to look far afield for that!"

"Leave me out of the conversation," Richard growled. "These private affairs of mine in no way affect your detective work."

"But, you must pardon me if I seem intrusive, I am a.s.suming that we are at one in this matter of investigation?" Corson spoke sharply.

"Of course," agreed Bates.

"Then I must ask if you are engaged to Miss Everett."

"He is not!" Miss Prall almost shrieked the words. "He is not and never will be. The death of his uncle, deplorable as are the circ.u.mstances, leaves Mr Bates free to pursue his occupation with all his time and attention. He will not think of other matters for a year at least, and then the lady in the case will _not_ be Miss Everett!"

The Grenadier sat stiffly upright, and her black beady eyes, darted from her nephew's face to that of the detective as if challenging contradiction from either of them.

Bates replied only by a shrug of his shoulders, but Corson said, "I a.s.sume then, Miss Prall, that outside the natural shock of the tragedy you feel a certain relief that your nephew is now the heir to great wealth and can pursue his career? But I understand his uncle wished him to a.s.sociate himself with the Bun business."

"Quite so," Let.i.tia snapped. "The late Sir Herbert was deeply interested in my nephew, but he did not understand or appreciate his achievements and possibilities in his own chosen line. Wherefore, I am rejoiced that now my nephew can proceed unhindered."

"But, I believe the late Sir Herbert favored the match between Mr Bates and Miss Everett?"

"Drop that!" Richard blazed forth. "Leave that lady's name out of this conversation!"

"Yes, indeed!" Let.i.tia cried; "I forbid the mention of the name of Everett in my presence!"

"Yet it may be necessary," Corson went on, calmly. "You know, Miss Prall, the ends of justice may call for the mention of a name----"

"What in the world can the mention of that name have to do with justice?" Eliza broke in. "You don't connect the Everetts with the murder, do you?"

"I don't connect any one with the murder, as yet," Corson replied, "but it is my great desire to find some connection, and so I have to make inquiries."

"If that's your motive, I still must request that you omit the name of Everett from your conversation," said Bates. "Look here, Corson, are you getting anywhere, or aren't you?"