'Don't,' said Fred.
'Why not?' she said carelessly.
He pushed the door a Httle tighter and came nearer. Don t want to put a time lunit on this thing,' he said soflyy. 'Can't you see?'
'No. What do you mean?' She wished he'd go.
'Well, look, if they think tomorrow's too late, there's still tonight.'
'Oh God,''said Alice, 'I can't keep thinking about that always. Things are bad enough without worrying about murder. Murder!' she repeated scornfully
Fred considered her m silence for a moment 'Yeah, but look, just don't let it out.'
'All right I won't,' she said. 'Is that what you want? Then...' she wanted to say, 'Let me alone.'
'You know,' Fred drawled, 'if anything does happen to him, you'll be a million dollars out'
Alice felt shocked, 'Why, yes,' she said carefully, 'though I hadn't quite thought of it that way.'
'I though you did think of it that way. I mean, I'm sorry, maybe I got you wrong after all. But I thought you wanted to marry hun because of the money '
Alice stared at him. It all seemed long ago, somehow.
'I'm sorry, Fred said. 'I mean if I'm wrong. I mean if you...'
'I told you,' said Alice boldly, 'and it's true.'
'That's what I thought.'
'Look, Fred,' Alice said desperately, 'you've been a big help. Keep on being a big help, will you'?'
'I'm on your side,' Fred said. 'I thought you knew that.
'Then why does it matter what I'm marrying him for? The thing is, now, to get out of this mess.' 'We can't get out until he's well enough to go.' 'I know.'
'And all I meant was to warn you. A million dollars isan awful big stake. You've got to keep it in mind.'
'I've got it in mind,' Alice said.
'Relax,' Fred said. 'Gosh dam it. What do you want to get mad at me for?'
'I'm not.'
'Well, good,' he said.
She tried to smile. 'Tell me again, what's this about not talking? Maybe I wasn't listening.'
'All I say is, watch out they don't know the money's getting willed to you tomorrow. Because if they do know, and if they really are up to something, that would make tonight a bad night for the boss. Now do you see?'
'Yes, I see,' said Alice.
Fred leaned back on the door. It swung closer to closing. He seized the knob and pushed it, using his strength. It wouldn't close.
'Oh, my God!' screamed Alice.
She saw the fingers in the crack. In the crack where the hinges were. Fingers being squeezed. She knew it must be excruciating pain.
Fred looked at her, startled. He didn't release the door, kept leaning his weight on it But there was no sound. Weirdly, impossibly, there was no sound. The fingers were caught in the door, and it must hurt. It must hurt terribly, but no one cried out. There was no scream of pain.
Alice wrenched the knob from Fred's hand and pulled the door open. Isabel stood there.
'Oh, Miss Whitlock, Tm so sorry. I'm so sorry.'
Isabel freed her right hand from the crack. She used her left to do it. She lifted the stiff, unnatural gray kid fingers out of the crack and hung them at her side.
'It really doesn't matter,' she said, with a brilliant smile. 'I was just going by.' She nodded and moved off.
Alice felt hysterical. 'It couldn't hurt her,' she said, 'but I thought it was a real hand. I thought it was real.'
'It's artificial, all right,' Fred said thoughtfully. 'I guess that proves it. So she's only got one arm.'
Alice looked up in alarm.
'I was thinking, last night,' he muttered, 'how do we know?'
'How do we know what?'
'If they're really blind, or deaf, or crippled.'
Alice said, 'Do you feel all right?' sarcastically.
'I don't feel so good,' Fred said, 'and that's a fact. I wonder what she heard.'
'You think she was listening?'
