He glared at the
Unknown. "If you'll give me five minutes alone with him, I'll get
the truth out of him!" he promised.
A look of swift alarm swept over the Unknown's face at the words,
unperceived by any except Miss Cornelia. The others started
obediently to yield to the detective's behest and leave him alone
with his prisoner. Miss Cornelia was the first to move toward the
door. On her way, she turned.
"Do you believe that money is irrevocably gone?" she asked of
Anderson.
The detective smiled.
"There's no such word as 'irrevocable' in my vocabulary," he
answered. "But I believe it's out of the house, if that's what
you mean."
Miss Cornelia still hesitated, on the verge of departure.
"Suppose I tell you that there are certain facts that you have
overlooked?" she said slowly.
"Still on the trail!" muttered the detective sardonically. He did
not even glance at her. He seemed only anxious that the other
members of the group would get out of his way for once and leave
him a clear field for his work.
"I was right about the Doctor, wasn't I?" she insisted.
"Just fifty per cent right," said Anderson crushingly. "And the
Doctor didn't turn that trick alone. Now--" he went on with
weary patience, "if you'll all go out and close that door--"
Miss Cornelia, defeated, took a candle from Bailey
and stepped into the corridor. Her figure stiffened. She
gave an audible gasp of dismayed surprise.
"Quick!" she cried, turning back to the others and gesturing toward
the corridor.
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