“There was the bad business of Charles Blunden,” said Bunty carefully. “That was rather on his mind, because—” She remembered in time that the adjourned inquest had so far produced only evidence of identification, that Dominic’s last meeting with Charles, and the queer confidence it had produced, were known to no one except herself, the police, and the boy. Maybe Dom had stretched his promise of secrecy so far as to admit Pussy, who was half himself, but she was sure he had extended it to no one else; and it was not for her to publish it to Chad Wedderburn, whatever she believed of him. “But I’d swear he was all right,” she said, “when he went off this morning. I wish I’d paid more attention to him at tea, but there was nothing particularly odd about him being silent and a little abstracted.”
“Of course not! I had different opportunities. In the middle of the
Bunty, looking uneasily at the clock, said: “With all his homework still to do, he ought to be thinking of coming back by now. Usually he does it first.”
“You don’t know where he’s gone?”
“No, I rather took it for granted it was down to the Shock of Hay to pick up Pussy for some project or other. I thought maybe they needed what was left of the daylight, hence the hurry. Now I don’t know what to think.”
“Go on thinking the same,” said Chad, “and I’ll go and see if he’s down there. But I think I ought to apologize in advance for scaring you for nothing. We’re all a shade jumpy, maybe it’s affected my judgment.”
She was nevertheless deeply aware that it had taken some very strong uneasiness to send him down here tonight on this or any other errand. It might prove baseless, but it had been profoundly felt, and since it was on Dominic’s account she warmed to him for it. “Hadn’t I better come down with you, and make sure?”
“Had you better? If he’s harmlessly fooling around there with Pussy and their gang, it might be a little galling —”
Bunty thought deeply, and smiled, and said: “You’re very right. He’ll hardly suspect you of coming along simply to reassure yourself he isn’t in mischief, but I couldn’t get by so easily. All right, I’ll wait. No doubt he’ll come blithely in when it suits him, or when he’s hungry. No, I couldn’t make a fool of him in front of Pussy, of course.”
“I’ll come back this way, and let you know. But I’m sure it will be all right.”
That, he thought and she thought, as the door closed between them, is precisely what one says when one is by no means sure of any such matter. The street-lamp just outside the police-station shone on him briefly through the near-darkness, which in unlit places would still be scarcely more than dusk. A small, slender figure, coming at a run, butted head-down into his middle, and being steadied from the impact, gave a gasp of relief, and called him Sergeant Felse. He held her off, and recognized Pussy. She had a certain fixed and resolute look about her which fingered the same sore place Dominic’s eyes had left in his consciousness. He said: “Hullo, where are you off to in such a hurry? What’s the matter?”
“Oh, it’s you, Mr. Wedderburn,” said Pussy, damped but well-disposed. “I thought you were Dom’s father. I’ve got to see him.”
“Bad luck! I came on the same errand. He’s out, and he won’t be back till late.”
Pussy, with her hand already reaching out for the latch of the gate, stopped dead, and stared up at him with large green eyes of horror. “He’s out?” she echoed in a shrill whisper. “Where? Where could I find him?”
“I doubt very much if you can. Mrs. Felse doesn’t know where he is, only that he’s been gone since this afternoon, and told her not to expect him back until late tonight. Why, what’s the matter?”
“But what am I going to do?” she demanded in dismay. “I’ve got to find him.” She pushed headlong at the gate, for a moment intent on bursting in to pour out the story to Bunty, since George was missing, and somebody had to take action. Then she closed it again, and stood chewing her underlip and thinking more deeply. No, it wouldn’t do. She couldn’t frighten his mother until she knew there was reason. The last time had been bad enough. “Is Weaver in there? Or even Cooke, but Weaver would be better.”
“No, there’s no one but Mrs. Felse.”
“Oh, hell!” said Pussy roundly. “And they might be just anywhere!”
“No doubt they could be found, if it’s as bad as that. And why won’t Mrs. Felse do?”
“She—well, she’s a woman,” said Pussy in sufficient explanation. “I can’t go scaring her, and anyhow there’s nothing she could do. I need
For answer, Chad took her by the arm, and turned her firmly about, and began to march her toward the distant lights of the Shock of Hay. “Come on, if it’s as bad as that, you can walk and talk at the same time. You’re going home, and on the way you’re going to tell me what this is all about.”
Not unwillingly trotting alongside, she uttered breathlessly: “But I can’t—it isn’t my secret, I can’t just tell anyone.”
“Don’t be finicky! You want men, and I’m the nearest. In the bar no doubt we can find more, if you can convince me by then that you seriously need them. So go ahead, and tell me the whole story. Where’s Dominic?”
She began to tell him, half-walking and half-running at his side in the dark, gratefully anchored by his large, firm hand. She had disliked the whole business from the beginning, as she disliked and distrusted any plan of which she possessed only half the essential outline; and now that it came to the point, she was glad to pour it out to him, glad of his unexclaiming quietness and terse questions; glad of the speed he was making with her, though it left her gasping; and more glad than ever of his procedure on arrival. For he released her arm at the main door, shepherded her by one shoulder straight through the bar, where she was not allowed to go, walked up to Io without hesitation, and said:
“Come through into the kitchen, please, Io. There’s something bad afoot, we need five minutes’ thinking.”
Io pushed a draught Bass across the bar, scooped in a half-crown, and automatically dispensed change, without any alteration of her expression. She raised her eyes to his face suddenly, their rich brown a little stunned and misty with bewilderment, but large and calm, and ready to light up with pleasure. He had just shouldered his
