Bright Skies by Emilie Loring

Author:Emilie Loring [Loring, Emilie]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Publisher: Lume Books
Published: 2020-10-28T00:00:00+00:00

15

“How long do you expect to be away, sir?” Sergeant McIlvray stopped on the threshold of Cam’s workroom to inquire. “How big a bag shall I pack?”

“Lounge robe, pajamas and a shaving kit. I will report on the job here, every day. When you finish packing, come back, you and I have a little washing up to do.”

“Yes, sir,” McIlvray agreed and departed.

Tilted back in the desk chair, eyes on a wall map of the Hawaiian Islands, Cam recalled the events of the afternoon from the moment he had dropped in at Silver Ledges with a message for Mrs. Shaw which General Carrington wouldn’t trust to the telephone, and found her dazed and frightened by the evidence of burglary, till an hour ago when he had left the house after hearing the General’s proposal to the woman he loved. He hadn’t known before that he planned to return to Germany. Had Sally’s sobs crystallized inclination to decision?

Who had taken Skinner’s brief case? What did it contain? “Papers. Stuff,” he had said. That last word had given him a start. Could it be possible that he was the GI who had robbed the cache? He had told Pat that murder might be committed to gain possession of his “black leather bag.” Had Alec Stanhope been on the track of it? Stanhope wasn’t his name. He was one of the Sword and Dagger men trained for espionage who never would be acclaimed for what he accomplished, who would wear no ribbons or decorations, who would go to his death without even his nearest and dearest knowing what his part in victory had been.

Cardena had told Pat that Stanhope had been on the plane to Maui. General Carrington had it on the best authority that he had not been a passenger. That implicated the Brazilian. Why would he lie about it unless he knew that the man had been put out of the way and by whom? It fitted in with his character as McIlvray had described the Storm Trooper who had visited the concentration camp.

If only Pat had not been drawn into what might end in more tragedy. Too many persons knew she had taken the brief case from the hospital—the Post Commander, the lieutenant in charge of the vault, the matron, Captain Dane, who might have seen her place it on the seat of the sedan. Where was it now? Pat had admitted that the Corporal might have been delirious when telling of its contents.

“Bag is packed, sir.”

What and how much did McIlvray know of the events of the afternoon? He would stake his life that the man was honest, he knew also that he could hold his tongue under torture and threat of death.

“Close the door and come in, Sergeant. At ease. Sit down.”

“I’d rather stand, sir.”

“Suit yourself. You were playing the flute for Miss Carey this afternoon?”

“Shure, an’ was it you down there in the church? If I’d known that I wouldn’t have gone haywire.”

“Did you go haywire? Why?”

“Well, you see it was this way, sir.

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