“You two were in here together a great deal.” “True, as man and employee. I am not one to become confidential with an office attache.” “Not even with a pretty woman?” “Especially not with a woman of any kind.” There was a hard, bitter ring to these words, which Nick did not fail to make a note of. “Yet you told her the story of that deceived client.” “There was a reason for that.” “What reason?” Redway frowned again, and answered: “That is something I refuse to say.” “You were not her lover, Mr. Redway?” An angry flush mounted the young lawyer’s brow, and he replied: “The question is not worthy of an answer.” “You are sure you never gave her cause to believe you thought more of her than any other young woman?” “I don’t pretend to know what is in any woman’s mind.” “But your treatment of her----” “Was of a business kind entirely.” “Well, we’ll leave that part of the subject and come down to the tragedy. Were you in the room when the fatal shot was fired?” “Why, no, certainly not.” “Where were you?” “On the street.” “Was there any one in the office at the time?” “I don’t know.” “When you came in you found her lying there on that desk dead?” Nick once more noticed just the mote of a hesitation in the reply. “Yes, she was sitting there in that chair stone dead.” “How long had you been out of the office?” “Ten or fifteen minutes--maybe longer.” “Where had you gone?” “To the street.” “To any particular place?” “Yes.” “You had an object in leaving the office for the street?” “Perhaps.” “But had you not?” “Oh, yes. There usually is an object in all we do.” “Well, what was your object in this instance?” “I think I will not answer that question.” “Very well. When you went out, what was Miss Langdon doing?” “Putting her desk in order.” “Preparatory to leaving?” “I supposed so.” “Was it her time to go home?” “It was past the time.” “What had detained her?” “I don’t know. A woman’s whim, perhaps.” “Did you say anything to her as you went out?” “Yes.” “What?” “She asked me: ‘Are you going, Mr. Redway,’ and I replied: ‘Yes.’” “She meant to ask whether you were leaving for the day?” “I suppose so.” “And you deceived her?” “No. I had no intention then of coming back.” “What changed your mind?” “A mere whim. I couldn’t answer you intelligently on that point.” “You mean you will not,” thought Nick. “When you came in you found her dead?” Nick continued. “Yes, I said so before.” “Any one else in the office?” “No.” “You gave no immediate alarm?” “No.” “Why?” “Because I realized from the first that it was an awkward fix for me to be in, any way I could manage it.” “So you remained?” “Yes.” “What did you do here alone with the corpse?” Redway’s gray eyes once more turned sharply on Nick’s face before he made reply. “I spent a few minutes trying to find some trace of the crime, and at the same time figuring upon my own danger.” “So you waited for some one to come in?”