“M’yes,” Leonidas said. “That was the tea party planned for Leslie, was it not?”
Miss Chard nodded.
“Leslie told me she left a message about her departure, but we’ve never found it. The butler merely told us that Miss Horn had gone out, and we assumed that she’d gone for a walk.”
“And you can find no trace of Leslie’s note?” Leonidas said. “M’yes. Go on.”
“It’s that stupid butler,” Cassie said.
“Thomas has been a thorn in my flesh for many years,” Miss Chard said, “but it was not my place to question Medora’s choice of servants. Then, Mrs. Price, we realized that Leslie Horn had really gone away. That she’d departed. And then we realized that the money was gone, too.”
“And you called the colonel at that point?” Leonidas asked.
“Yes. And all those policemen came, with their guns. But before they arrived, Medora talked with Thomas, and decided that somehow or other there must have been a mistake, and that Leslie took the brush box off with her other artist’s paraphernalia. When the colonel came, she told him that an error had been made, and that a friend had undoubtedly taken her box by mistake. Sometimes that safe door just opens of its own accord, and Medora wasn’t at all sure that she’d put the box inside. She thought she might have left it out on the desk. The colonel was very solicitous, and said he hoped she was right, and that the money hadn’t really been stolen. He was most kind.”
“Didn’t he suggest an investigation?” Leonidas inquired.
“Yes, but Medora refused. She said she’d settle things herself. Then she asked me to go to New York and get the girl. Under the circumstances, I was only too willing and eager to do so. If there were an official investigation—” Miss Chard left the sentence unfinished.
“M’yes,” Leonidas said, “that would have been difficult for you. I fear that even the colonel would not have believed you. So you took a plane after Leslie.”
“I went to the airport in a police car,” Miss Chard said. “It was quite exciting, with the sirens. The colonel was very pleasant when‘Medora asked him if his men could give me a ride. He was always most tactful in his dealings with her.”
“Rutherford’s not dumb,” Cassie said. “You can’t ever tell when you’ll need a pistol range. Bill, I begin to understand things. Rutherford was worried, and that’s why he leapt on Margie— By the way, how did he work that? Did he give you a note to take to Medora?”
Margie nodded.
“He didn’t explain anything to me, though, and I don’t know what the note said. But that bunch of servants certainly put me to work! I never worked so hard in my life.”
“Miss Chard,” Leonidas said, “who came to tea yesterday afternoon?”
“About fifty. Quite a representative group. The rector, and Mrs. Tudbury, and Mrs. Otis, and many members of the Tuesday Club—you were asked, were you not, Mrs. Price?”
“Dear me, was I?” Cassie said. “That’s probably one of those invitations that came while my bifocals were broken.. Dear me! Bill Shakespeare, you know what I think? I think that someone at that tea party pinched Medora’s money!”
“M’yes,” Leonidas agreed absently. “Leslie’s note, too, I think. M’yes. Perhaps someone even saw Miss Chard take the hundred-dollar bill, and realized the splendid opportunity which presented itself. I concur, Cassie.”
“Oh, no!” Miss Chard sounded shocked. “You’re both wrong! It couldn’t have been anyone at the party! Why, they were people we know! The better people. The nicer people. It wasn’t any motley collection, like that group over at the auditorium— By the way, did you say you were going there?”
“Let’s, Bill,” Cuff said. “Let’s go. The Voters League’s going to announce their candidate for mayor, see, and it’s going to be the biggest show they ever had in Dalton. Let’s go, huh, Bill?”
“Cuff,” Cassie said, “we’re not going to that old auditorium to hear Scipione made candidate for mayor. Merciful heavens, with those two men in Bill’s cellar, and not a whit of detecting done about Medora—with all that to settle, d’you think we can waste time going to monster demonstrations? Besides, I don’t think it’s going to be so monster. There wasn’t much going on there when we circled around. Just some people with placards. Bill, now that you’ve found out how much money was stolen, what about it? What are you going to do? We’ve got to do something!”
Leonidas looked thoughtfully out the car windows at the bleak snow banks surrounding the Daltonham station.
The problem of what to do was bothering him intensely. He knew what he would like to do. How to do it was another thing.
“Well?” Cassie’s foot was tapping the floor carpet. “What are you waiting for? The honking of geese?”
Leonidas watched a taxi swing up to the station door.
“Because,” Cassie continued, “I think that action is indicated, Bill. It’s high time. High time that— Bill! Where are you going?”
“Cuff,” Leonidas opened the sedan’s door, “come with me, please. Margie, keep Mrs. Price here. And Miss Chard, too. The geese have honked, Cassie. I’m about to act.”
“Say, Bill,” Cuff began eagerly, “you going after that little guy just got out of the cab, huh? That little guy?”
“Ssh! Yes! Come along!”
Obediently, Cuff followed Leonidas into the station.
“That little guy’s in the Water Department, Bill,” Cuff whispered in Leonidas’s ear as they crossed the grimy waiting room. “I know him—”
“Ssh!”
Leonidas paused a few feet from the ticket window and listened as Ernest Round excitedly ordered a ticket to Milwaukee.
“A splendid city/’ Leonidas stepped forward and stood at Ernest Round’s elbow. “A fine city. Er— distant.”
“What?” Ernest swung around. “Oh. Oh, how do you do, Mr. Witherall. Fancy meeting you here!”
“M’yes,” Leonidas said. “Fancy. We have your bag outside, Mr. Round. Let us take him to his bag, Cuff.”
“Sure.” Cuff took Ernest’s other elbow.
Before Ernest was quite aware of what was happening to him, he had been gently propelled across the waiting room, out of the station, and into
