The Shadow 235 Murder Mansion by Maxwell Grant

Author:Maxwell Grant [Grant, Maxwell]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Street & Smith
Published: 1941-11-30T23:00:00+00:00

Her

mistrust was increasing.

“Don’t worry about it, Clive,” she said crisply. “I disposed of the note.”

Clive’s frank manner returned. He drew off the cloak and tossed it across his arm, with the slouch hat.

“I won’t need these any more,” he declared. “I’ll leave them in the study,

where the sheriff can find them. I know I can depend on you to come to the attic

and keep me posted on other developments. You see, I trust you, Gail.”

“It’s quite time you did, Clive.”

“I don’t blame you for wondering at times,” insisted Clive in an earnest tone. “I’ve been in a tougher situation than you realize, because you always get a sugar-coated story from Elbert. He wouldn’t have hesitated at using you to lure me back here.”

“Leave Elbert out of it, Clive.”

A smile of agreement appeared on Clive’s face. It had the cold touch that denoted worry, but Gail construed it differently. She took Clive’s expression to mean that he would like to count Elbert out of matters permanently, as his Uncle Tobias was.

“Elbert won’t leave himself out,” began Clive. “I came here on that account, Gail. I knew the will was being changed Ñ”

“Who told you?” interrupted Gail quickly.

“I mean,” corrected Clive, “that I thought it would be changed.”

“Your share is now in my favor,” said Gail. “That should suit you, if you really trust me, Clive.”

“It suits me. Quite!”

AS Clive turned to leave, Gail followed. She didn’t want him to go away hurt back to his lonely hiding place. Along the hallway she was protesting in low, ardent tones, that she cared for Clive but that she couldn’t stand his grudge against the world, which went so far as to include a very amiable stranger like Cranston.

As they reached the door of the study, Clive paused, and smiled in much more pleasant fashion. He rested his hand tenderly on Gail’s shoulder, as he said:

“I’m going in here to leave this borrowed outfit. I can’t wait longer, Gail, because I hear someone coming up the front stairs. Make sure they don’t come into the study.”

Clive was closing the study door behind him when Gail turned around to see

Margo on the stairs. Again, Gail felt a surge of apology for having felt meanly

toward Margo. Certainly, Margo’s progress up the stairs had not been stealthy in the least.

“I… I must talk to you, Margo,” declared Gail seriously. “It’s about Ñ

well, it’s about so many things. I really need advice.”

Gail was placing her hand on the study door to make sure that it was fully

closed. Margo thought that Gail wanted to hold the conference in that particular

room, and therefore stepped forward. Quickly, Gail caught Margo’s arm.

“Not here!” Gail exclaimed. “In my room, Margo. We mustn’t disturb anything in the study. I know the sheriff wouldn’t like it. I… I was just making sure that the door was locked.”

Not only Gail’s expression but her voice, gave away the fact that something in the study worried her, and Margo took it that something might mean

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