Duffs eyelids crinkled. 'And on,' he said. 'An articulate man in a small town full of inarticulate people. Poor fellow. Well, he interrupted us, but perhaps to some benefit. We haven't time to wait him out, Fred. We are hot on the trail.'
'You don't say,' said Fred with delight. 'Of what?'
'Lunch,' said Duff.
17
Killeen, entering Innes's bedroom, sensed crisis in the air, and he walked softly. 'I'm ready now, Innes. Shall I come back later?'
'No,' said Innes angrily, 'come in now.' He looked at Alice and spread a benign smile over his irritation. 'Alice has got the colly-wobbles,' he said.
Alice faced him with an indignant murmur.
'But I know,' said Innes, holding up his hand in a traffic cop's stop gesture, 'that no matter what she says, she is a friend of mine.'
Alice said, 'That's true, of course.'
'So she'll do something for me,' said Imies, keeping the third person, as if he were talking to a child, 'she'll run down and fetch Josephine and Mr. Johnson.'
'Of course I will,' said Alice, 'if you want them. Innes, what are you going to do?'
'I'm going to sign my will,' he snapped, 'and they're going to witness it.'
'You can't.'
'On the contrary.' Innes was cold and his mouth was thin. 'You don't seem to realize that your girlish doubts are interfering with a plan for my safety.'
'I have no doubts,' said Alice, 'girlish or otherwise.'
'I don't care whether you have or not. I intend to stay alive.'
Art Killeen was giving a good imitation of a deaf mute.
'You have my permission,' said Alice dryly, 'to stay alive.'
'We mustn't quarrel,' cried Innes, melting suddenly into panic. 'Alice, don't you see! Here I am helpless, in bed! And you know what I'm afraid of. I had it all worked out, this scheme. To make it worth their while to protect me. And I'm going on with it. You shan't stop me. You have no right to stop me!'
'Please don't upset yourself,' Alice said quietly. 'I'm not stopping you.'
'Helpless . . . helpless . . .' Innes tossed as much as he was able. 'Now . . . now, when I need your support, when I need your loyalty . . . you choose this moment. . .'
Alice picked up the pillbox, shook one out, and put it, with a glass of water, in his hand.
'Don't stew,' she said coldly. 'It's not disloyal to tell the truth.'
'Alice, don't leave me!'
'I think . . .' KiUeen backed toward the door.
'Where are you going? You stay here,' Innes commanded. He picked up briskness. 'Alice, if you please, at least you can ask Josephine and Mr. Johnson to come up here. If this distresses you so much, remember, I can change my will again.'
'I can't stop you from making a will,' she said. 'Why
can't you put another name in place of mine? Mr. Killeen's, for instance.'
Killeen looked startled, and Innes looked stubborn. His hair was mussed, his little mustache out of order. But his eyes shot lightning at her.
'I shall do as I planned. We'll discuss the rest of it later. Please hurry. YouVe delayed this already.'
Alice started to leave the room with what meek dignity she could, but she thought of something and turned back.
'You'll stay right here?' she said to Killeen.
AH his bewilderment showed through his mask. 'Yes of course.'
'He mustn't be left alone.'
'I see. I see.'
'You'd better stay until Fred comes back,' said Alice. 'It seems I'm going to have the motive now.'
She walked out, leaving their two faces blank with astonishment.
When Fred and Duff came in they found Alice roaming distractedly aroimd the sitting room. 'He's signed his will,' she annoimced.
'Who's with him?'
'Art ... Mr. Killeen.'
'Do they know?'
'Not yet,' Alice said. 'Look, Fred, I'm sorry, but you're on duty, that is if there is any more guard duty. I can't be.'
