“Same here,” said Williams. “You ain’t got enough provocation. With Mrs. Stokes you have--a woman jealous of her husband.” “And you’ve got a man,” retorted Rawson, “moved by one of the passions that lead oftenest to murder--revenge.” “Revenge?” echoed Williams. “Miss Saunders’ accusation, if true,--and I think it was,--would ruin him in his profession. He learned what she’d done to him just before he was due to leave.” A chill passed through Bassett--revenge was a word that fitted Joe. But he cast the thought out, moving away from the desk and exclaiming with angry repudiation: “Oh, it’s unthinkable, preposterous.” “What but an evil intention could have made him act as he did?” “Any number of things. It may be a prank--a practical joke we’ll get an explanation of later. He may have invented the story of his fishing trip and gone off with a girl.” “Had he a girl?” “I don’t know--also he may have done something dishonest, got in wrong some way--he was capable of it, I’m not defending him--and been frightened and lit out.” “How did he get off?” Bassett’s voice was raised in his exasperation: “Good lord, Rawson, we weren’t jailed here then. He could have had a boat hidden in one of the coves. This place wasn’t escape-proof till you turned up. He could have rowed ashore and landed anywhere, and that’s what he’s done.” “Unless he’s here.” “Here on the island?” “That’s my opinion, in hiding on the island.” Williams spoke with an air of patient reminder: “Ain’t we gone over it with a fine-tooth comb?” Rawson pointed to the ceiling: “How about that top story? A person--we won’t say who--could have killed the woman, entered the house while the rest of you were on the beach, put back the pistol, and gone up-stairs.” Williams made a motion to heave himself up from his chair. “Well, if that’s how you feel about it let’s go up and have a look for the person.” “We needn’t do that just now. They’re as safe as if they were behind bars. There’s something I want to do down here first--have a talk with Miss Tracy. She may be able to give us a little light.” “She can’t help you,” said Bassett. “They weren’t on confidential terms. She’d be the last person he’d tell anything to.” He believed what he said, but his heart sank. Anne to be dragged through another interrogation, an interrogation with a hideous suspicion behind it! Rawson rose: “Perhaps so, but it’s worth trying. She may know more than you think; sisters sometimes do. And she certainly must have more knowledge of him than any of us. We’ll soon see.” He moved toward the door. “I’ll go up and get her now.” XV