Part 7 (1/2)

'Well,' said the old man politely, 'are you reassured by your scrutiny, Sir?'

I couldn't find a word

'I hope you'll find it consistent with your duty to drop this ridiculous business Iit must be to respectable people'

I shookman 'This is a bit too thick!'

'Do you propose to march us off to the police station?' asked the pluht be the best way out of it, but I suppose you won't be content with the local branch I have the right to ask to see your warrant, but I don't wish to cast any aspersions upon you You are only doing your duty But you'll admit it's horribly aard What do you propose to do?'

There was nothing to do except to call in my men and have them arrested, or to confess my blunder and clear out I felt mesmerized by the whole place, by the air of obvious innocence - not innocence merely, but frank honest bewilderment and concern in the three faces

'Oh, Peter Pienaar,' I groaned inwardly, and for atheir pardon

'Meantie,' said the plus, and you knoe have been wanting a fourth player Do you play, Sir?'

I accepted as if it had been an ordinary invitation at the club The whole business had -roos to smoke and drink I took my place at the table in a kind of drea the cliffs and sea with a great tide of yellow light There was moonshi+ne, too, in my head The three had recovered their coy talk you will hear in any golf club-house I

My partner was the young dark one I play a fair hand at bridge, but I ot me puzzled, and that put the at their faces, but they conveyed nothing to me It was not that they looked different; they were different I clung desperately to the words of Peter Pienaar

Then soht a cigar He didn't pick it up at once, but sat back for aon his knees

It was the movement I remembered when I had stood before him in the moorland farm, with the pistols of his servants behindonly a second, and the odds were a thousand to one that I ht have had my eyes on my cards at the time and missed it But I didn't, and, in a flash, the air seemed to clear So at the three nition

The clock on the mantelpiece struck ten o'clock

The three faces seee beforeone was the murderer Now I saw cruelty and ruthlessness, where before I had only seen good-humour His knife, I made certain, had skewered Scudder to the floor His kind had put the bullet in Karolides

The pluain, as I looked at them He hadn't a face, only a hundred masks that he could assume when he pleased That chap must have been a superb actor Perhaps he had been Lord Alloa of the night before; perhaps not; it didn't matter I wondered if he was the felloho had first tracked Scudder, and left his card on hiine how the adoption of a lisp ht add terror