Part 29 (2/2)
The detective seemed to have more confidence in the young idler.
”Beresford, will you go with this j.a.p to the kitchen?” as Billy, grimly clutching his butcher knife, retraced his steps toward the hall. ”If anyone's working at the k.n.o.b--shoot through the door. I'm going round to take a look outside.”
Beresford started to obey. Then he paused.
”I advise you not to turn the doork.n.o.b yourself, then,” he said flippantly.
The detective nodded. ”Much obliged,” he said, with a grin. He ran lightly into the alcove and tiptoed out of the terrace door, closing the door behind him. Beresford and Billy departed to take up their posts in the kitchen. ”I'll go with you, if you don't mind--” and Jack Bailey had followed them, leaving Miss Cornelia and Dale alone with the Doctor. Miss Cornelia, glad of the opportunity to get the Doctor's theories on the mystery without Anderson's interference, started to question him at once.
”Doctor.”
”Yes.” The Doctor turned, politely.
”Have you any theory about this occurrence to-night?” She watched him eagerly as she asked the question.
He made a gesture of bafflement.
”None whatever--it's beyond me,” he confessed.
”And yet you warned me to leave this house,” said Miss Cornelia cannily. ”You didn't have any reason to believe that the situation was even as serious as it has proved to be?”
”I did the perfectly obvious thing when I warned you,” said the Doctor easily. ”Those letters made a distinct threat.”
Miss Cornelia could not deny the truth in his words. And yet she felt decidedly unsatisfied with the way things were progressing.
”You said Fleming had probably been shot from above?” she queried, thinking hard.
The Doctor nodded. ”Yes.”
”Have you a pocket-flash, Doctor?” she asked him suddenly.
”Why--yes--” The Doctor did not seem to perceive the significance of the query. ”A flashlight is more important to a country Doctor than--castor oil,” he added, with a little smile.
Miss Cornelia decided upon an experiment. She turned to Dale.
”Dale, you said you saw a white light s.h.i.+ning down from above?”
”Yes,” said Dale in a minor voice.
Miss Cornelia rose.
”May I borrow your flashlight, Doctor? Now that fool detective is out of the way,” she continued some what acidly, ”I want to do something.”
The Doctor gave her his flashlight with a stare of bewilderment. She took it and moved into the alcove.
”Doctor, I shall ask you to stand at the foot of the small staircase, facing up.”
<script>