Fair Warning by Mignon Good Eberhart

Author:Mignon Good Eberhart [Eberhart, Mignon Good]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
ISBN: 9780884117551
Publisher: Amereon Ltd
Published: 1977-01-02T05:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER XII

ANCILL CAME AT BEATRICE’S summons to pick up the small pieces and wipe up the coffee stains. His back was disapproving, and Beatrice looked at the pieces and said in an expressionless way, “The Minton cups.”

She went upstairs shortly after that. And she had no more than gone when Rob came.

“I had to come,” he said.

But they couldn’t talk. For just then the policeman in the hall ambled past the doorway, paused to look at them and went on.

Rob turned to Gally. “Talk to him,” he said in a half-whisper. “Sit out there in the hall. Cough if he comes to the door again.”

Gally looked reluctant.

“All right,” he said. “I’ll try. But he won’t talk. I tried this afternoon. What’ve you been doing, Rob? Have you seen the papers?”

“Yes,” said Rob rather grimly. “Where’s Beatrice?”

“Gone upstairs,” replied Marcia. “Was the doctor—”

He nodded, meeting her eyes. He knew, then, about the letter.

Gally paused on his way to the door, tiptoed back toward Rob with extravagant caution and said in a stage whisper, “Beatrice says she knows who did it.”

“What’s that?” said Rob sharply. “What do you mean? What did she say? Who?”

“Oh, she wouldn’t say anymore,” said Gally. “That is, I didn’t ask her. She’s not exactly a pal of mine, you know. But she said she could have solved this murder long ago if she’d wanted to.”

“Beatrice says that?” said Rob slowly. He looked at Marcia. “What does she know besides—”

He checked himself abruptly, and Gally said, without noting that pause, “You tell him about it, Marcia. I’ll watch Brother Bill in the hall. Between us, I think Beatrice did it.”

With a gleam of his more customary cheerfulness, Gally disappeared.

“What does she mean?” said Rob. “The letter? He told me—Dr. Blakie. Do you think we can get it away from her, Marcia?”

Marcia shook her head.

“There isn’t any way, Rob. But I don’t think that was all she meant. You see, she says she saw the—the dandelion knife. Yesterday afternoon. It was in the cupboard—the same cupboard where she found the letter, and where, later, the detective must have found the envelope.”

“So that’s it!” He looked thoughtfully at her. “Has she told the police about seeing the knife?”

“I don’t know. I don’t think so. Oh, Rob, what are we going to do about the letter?”

He glanced at the door and took her suddenly in his arms.

“That’s why I came,” he said, holding her tightly. “To tell you not to worry about it. We know now where it is. We’ll do something about it—I don’t know just what, but something. So long as she’s inclined to trade silence for silence—”

“But, Rob, she may give it to them any moment.”

“I know. It’s a chance. But trust me, Marcia—”

Gally coughed frenziedly in the hall. By the time the policeman passed the doorway again, Marcia was sitting on the divan and Rob standing near the table.

“I’d better go,” said Rob in a low voice. “But, Marcia—don’t take any chances. I don’t want to frighten

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