“Then, as one of the principal beneficiaries, you know that you cannot expect to escape definite questioning by the detectives.” “I do not expect to escape it, nor do I fear it. Why are you telling me this, Mr. Moore?” “I thought you understood that as Mr. Ames’s adviser, I must make certain inquiries in the course of pursuing my duties.” She thawed a little, and said, half apologetically, “I suppose so. Is there anything else I can tell you?” “Yes, Mrs. Dallas. Since Mr. Tracy is dead, have you any intention of marrying any one else?” “I think, Mr. Moore, you are carrying your zeal for Mr. Ames’s work too far. I must beg to be excused from further conversation.” She rose and stood, like a tragedy queen, not angry, but with a scornful look on her handsome face and an expression in her eyes eloquent of dismissal. She did not point to the door, but such a gesture was not necessary with that look in her eyes. Courteously and with no effect of chagrin, Kee bowed his adieu and I followed suit. “Whew!” I remarked, after we had regained the outer road, “some goddess!” “Amazon! Boadicea! Xantippe! Medea!—yes, and Lucrezia Borgia!” he exclaimed, his voice making up in emphasis what it lacked in sound. “This case begins to look interesting, Gray. What price Everett and the Dallas in cahoots as murderers?” “Are you serious?” I asked, thinking he was merely smarting under the lady’s stinging rebuke. “No, I don’t think so. There are more likely suspects. But we learned a lot there. I honestly hated to bang her between the eyes as I did, but she was just about to order us out anyway, and I had to find out her state of mind regarding Everett.” “And did you?” “Of course I did. Her sudden flush of colour and the ghastly fear that came into her eyes for an instant told me the truth. Gray, she not only loves Charles Everett, but she is not at all certain that he is not the murderer.” “That lets her out, then.” “Oh, of course.... She never committed murder. And, she was at home in bed when the deed was done. She was at our party that night, you know.” “Yes, I know, but she went home early.” “Oh, well, there’s not the slightest suspicion attached to her. When I said in cahoots, I didn’t really mean it, or, if I did, I look on her as merely a sleeping partner. But I think she is entirely innocent of crime, or even accessory work, and I think, too, that she fears for Everett. Maybe not that he did the deed, but that he may be suspected of it. I don’t like the woman, I never did, but I think she’s innocent of any real wrong. I think she was engaged to Tracy for purely mercenary reasons, then Everett came along, and she fell for him, and she is now glad that old Samp is out of the way, but she didn’t bring it about.” “Probably you’re right, Kee, but I don’t hanker after any more calls on suspects if they’re going to be as strenuous as that.”