'Where's Nan?' Johnny said.
Dorothy turned her head and smiled. 'Surprisel' she said. 'Your dear mama said I must come . . .'
'She certainly mustn't stay alone,' said Barbara Sims, busthng in.
'Where's Nan?' Johnny repeated. His feet had not moved another inch.
'Oh, she flew home with Dick,' said Dorothy cheerfully. 'He had to go back and he didn't want to leave her and she's never met his folks, you know. He thought it would be good for her to get away.'
'So I brought Dorothy home with me, of course,' said his mother. 'Where have you been all day? Have you had any food?'
'You say they flew?' Johnny almost could not get his next
words out. 'You don't think they went by way of Nevada?'
Dorothy looked shocked. His mother said reproachfully,
'You can't think Nan would elopel The day Emily was
buried? Nan wouldn't do that.'
Dorotliy said, 'At least, she didn't. She called me and they're safe on the ground in Hestia.' She watched him.
Johnny sat limply down. Maybe there wasn't as much time as he'd thought there would be. He was scared.
'Have they ... set a date?' he asked painfully, looking at nothing but his mother's carpet.
'I'll be in charge of the wedding,' Dorothy said, 'whenever it is.'
'When will it be?' he insisted.
'Oh, I suppose soon. Nan won't want anything but a very simple wedding. No splash. Because of Emily . . .'
'Simple and soon, huh?' he murmured.
Dorothy turned and cards fell out of the pattern on the table and landed on the floor. 'What's the matter, Johrmy?'
Johnny's father began patiently to pick up the cards.
'I've been with Roderick Grimes,' said Johnny, 'and he gave me a job.'
'Well?' said his mother impatiently. 'You know, Johnny, you are going to have to get used to the idea that Nan w going to marry this man.'
Johnny's gi-een eyes flickered at her. 'Grimes wants me to dig up the dope on another old case. Happened years.^go.-In Hestia.' ^
'For goodness sakesl''his mother said.
His father stopped shuffling cards.
'A young woman named Christy McCauley was hit on the head one night—in the Barter's house.'
He heard them gasp.
'Her husband's in prison for doing the deed,' Johnny tried to be Hght, 'but Grimes thinks—oh, you know, the usual. More to it than meets the eye.'
'Johnny, you can't do this,' his mother said.
'Yes, I can, Ma,' he replied gravely. 'If I don't, somebody else will.'
'You should let somebody else, then,' his mother said severely. 'You, of all people, as close as you've been to Nan, can't go down there and bother those Bartees about an old tragic thing they'd surely rather forget.'
Dorothy had been sitting very still indeed. She said, 'Was the murdered woman related to Dick?'
'No, not directly. She was related to old Mrs. Bartee.'
'Is old Mrs. Bartee still alive?' asked his mother.
''Yes she is,' said Dorothy. 'Did 'Then, Johnny, you absolutely cam But Dorothy said, 'You don't wani family, do you, Johnny?''
He opened his mouth, took air, do She said briskly, 'How and when a 'Driving. In the morning.' 'I'U go, too.''
Johnny didn't know what to say. 'What's going on?' said Barbara Si Dorothy leaned forward. 'It's jus all know that you did go to see At least I know it, and I think your worried about this old murder ca: didn't want Nan mixed up with tha the matter?'
Johnny felt the red in his face. ] 'I guess,' he said, 'this is what yc tuition.'
'You may as well give up,' his J deal out a solitaire game.
'All right. O.K. I'll admit I took rights of it.'
'In what way?' his mother frowne Johnny searched for a stout lie t< mother's intuition. 'There's an idea, tee family kinda drove this poor hu way they froze him out. I mean, il pie . ..'
'Ummm,' said his mother. 'It's tn thing about them, do we?' 'It's too late.' said Dorothv.
