Part 28 (1/2)

XVII

THE VOICE FROM THE AIR

”Do you believe it?” I asked Kennedy, as the voices died away, leaving us with a feeling that some one had gone out of the very room in which we were.

He shrugged his shoulders and said nothing. But I cannot say that he seemed ill pleased at the result of the interview.

”We'll just keep this vocaphone in,” he remarked. ”It may come in handy some time. Now, I think we had better go back to the laboratory! Things have begun to move.”

On the way back he stopped to telephone Norton to meet us and a few minutes after we arrived, the archaeologist entered.

Kennedy lost no time in coming directly to the point, and Norton could see, in fact seemed to expect and be prepared for what was coming.

”Well,” exclaimed Kennedy, ”you've done it, this time!”

”I know what you are going to ask,” returned Norton. ”You are going to ask me why I did it. And I'm going to tell you. After I left you, the other day, I thought about it a long time. The more I thought, the more of a shame it seemed to me that a girl like that should be made a victim of her feelings. It wasn't so much what they have done to me that made me do it. I would have acted the same if it had been de Moche instead of Lockwood who was playing on her heart. I was afraid, to tell the truth, that you wouldn't tell her until it was too late. And she's too good to throw herself away and allow her fortune to be wasted by a couple of speculators.”

”Very well,” said Craig. ”For the sake of argument, let us admit all that. What did you expect to accomplish by it?”

”Why--put an end to it, of course.”

”But do you think she was going to accept as truth what you told her?

Would that be natural for one so high-strung?”

”Perhaps not--right away. But I supposed she would come to you--as I see she has, for you know about it. After that, it was only a question of time. It may have been a heroic remedy, but the disease was critical.”

”Suppose,” suggested Craig, ”that, after all, he told her that he was there in the Museum, but that he did not get the dagger. And suppose that she believed it. What then?”

Norton looked up quickly. ”Did he tell her that?”

”I am supposing that he did,” repeated Craig, declining to place himself in a position which might lead to disclosing how he found out.

”Then I should say that he was a great deal cleverer than I gave him credit for being,” returned Norton.

”Well, it's done now, and can't be undone. Have you found out anything about the de Moches?”

”Not very much, I must admit. Of course, you know I'm not on the best of terms with them, for some reason or other. But I've been around the Prince Edward Albert a good deal, and I don't think they've been able to do much that I haven't some kind of line on. Alfonso seems to be moping. His professors here tell me that he has been neglecting his work sadly for the past few days. The Senora and Whitney seem to be as friendly as ever. I should say that they were going the pace fast, and it shows on him.”

I glanced significantly at Kennedy, but he betrayed nothing that might lead one to suppose he had discovered the cause. Evidently he was not ready yet to come out into the open and expected further developments on the poisoned cigarette clue.

The telephone rang and Craig took down the receiver.

”Yes, this is Kennedy,” he answered. ”Oh, h.e.l.lo, Lockwood. What's that?

You've been trying to get me all day? I just came in. Why, yes, I can see you in about half an hour.”

”I guess I'd better clear out,” said Norton with a bitter laugh, as Kennedy hung up the receiver. ”There have been enough crimes committed without adding another murder to the list.”

”Keep on watching the de Moches,” requested Kennedy as Norton made his way to the door.