suspect but made no mention of Karen Holmes's part in making his present freedom possible.
'Because you had this fight with Grayson, and because Spencer may have seen you come from the building, you decided to ran,' Miranda said, 'You are afraid the police are now looking for you. And what do you expect to gain by this?'
'Time/' Jeff said, 'and maybe some information.' Then, because he knew of no other way, he plunged ahead, his body poised should he need to move quickly. 'Because the way I see it you have a pretty fair motive for murder yourself, Mr. Miranda,'
He could feel the other stiffen beside him but when there was no immediate reply, he said: 'What is your wife's first name?'
'Muriel'
'And what would you say if I told you she was planning to run away with Grayson tomorrow night?'
The brown, aristocratic face grew pale at the cheekbones and the answer came quickly, the words clipped and forceful.
'I would demand that you prove your accusation or apologize instantly.*'
Jeff already had the two airline tickets in his hand and he passed them quickly to Miranda without comment. He watched the man's dark gaze narrow as he examined the covers of the two tickets. He sat that way for several sec-
onds, as though reluctant to open them and see what lay
inside. Finally he bent one cover back, glanced at the ticket; he examined the other. He looked at Jeff.
'Where did you get them?'
Jeff told him. 'If there's any doubt in your mind,' he said, 'you could check with the airline office. The only point that concerns me is—did you know about this or didn't you?'
The outburst Jeff had expected never came. There was no denial, no outward sign that Miranda had heard what was said. He settled back against the cushions, no longer looking at Jeff or the tickets. His gaze was fixed at some point beyond the windshield, but the things he saw were in his mind. When he spoke, his voice had a remote quality and the thoughts he expressed came from the past.
'It has never been easy/' he said,
Jeff hesitated, and then checked the question that came to mind, as some instinctive knowledge warned him not to break the spell Miranda had cast about himself.
'She could not get used to the customs of this country/' he added finally. 'She had always had much freedom and she could not understand that here a wife does not go out in the evening without her husband. In the afternoon, perhaps with other women to tea, yes; not otherwise.
'She worked at the Tamanaco,' he said. 'She was brought here because she was experienced in hotel work —as a secretary and a hostess. There are many cocktail parties given there for business reasons. She would arrange the details. That is how I met her. After that I saw her as often as I could because I knew then I wanted her for my wife. There was much I could give her. I think she knew this just as she knew that I loved her very much even though I was twenty years older.
'But as Mrs, Luis Miranda she had certain duties and obligations. I tried to explain these, to tell her that a woman
ONE MINUTE PAST EIGHT
was judged by standards different from those in the States. When I insisted, she accused me of being jealous—which I must admit I was—and of being too strict. She complained that she had no fun. She threatened to leave me, but without money I knew she would not do this since this also was important to her,'
He fell silent, his gaze still remote and his dark face impassive. When the silence began to build, Jeff risked a question.
'You knew about Grayson?'
'Yes, I knew. He was a client. There were parties we both attended. But I did not know how friendly they had become.' He paused again, and when he continued, the absent quality was missing from his voice and the accent was grim. 'I have a beach cottage at Macuto, which is near the sea beyond La Guaira. I learned that there were afternoons when she had gone there with Grayson.'
'You told her what you knew?'
'Naturally'
'You fought about it.'
'There was no fight.*
'But you were jealous,' Jeff pressed, certain now that there would be no more reminiscing.
'I have admitted this.'
'Grayson was beaten pretty savagely. It was the sort of attack a jealous husband would make. As a motive for murder you've got one of the best.'
Miranda eyed him narrowly, watching intently, waiting.
'You thought you were going to lose your wife,' Jeff said, 'and that was something you were too proud to take. You made up your mind to handle Grayson in your own way. You went up to his office this afternoon and did just that.'
'I agree that to have done so would have given me much pleasure,' Miranda said frankly. 'But did I also go to the
room of Harry Baker and kill him too?' he asked with heavy irony.
'You were there.'
'At the hotel. You were there at that party and it would have been a cinch to duck out long enough to go upstairs. You knew Grayson had raised the cash. You knew why. 9 *
Miranda laughed abruptly and sat up, his smile thin and mirthless, his tone deprecating.
'If you had the time I would give you a letter to my bankers, Mr. Lane,' he said. 'I believe they could assure you that this money you speak of would hardly tempt me.**
The comment stopped Jeff momentarily and the argument he offered sounded inadequate, even to him.
'Even the rich get hard up for cash sometimes.'
'Possibly/' Miranda said, 'but it occurs to me that you also have an excellent motive for murder. You were worried about losing control of your company, is this not so? You were afraid that your stepbrother would vote his stock with . the opposition. Now you have no worries. You and your sister will have this stock for yourselves because your stepbrother is dead.
'It can be proved that you hated him, I think. You went to his office to threaten him and there was violence between you/' His smile was fixed as he reached for the door handle. 'But this I will do for you, Mr. Lane. I disliked your stepbrother intensely even though I handled some of his affairs. What has happened this afternoon has removed a serious problem for me. So I will do this: when you are arrested, and I do not think it will be too long now, I will be happy to defend you for nothing,'
He opened the door, pulled himself erect, and bowed stiffly. As he started to turn away, Jeff thought of one more question.
'Did my stepbrother leave a will?'
ONE MINUTE PAST EIGHT
'Not that I know of.'
'Then his wife will inherit.'
'It would seem so,'
He bowed again and this time he wheeled and continued up the street, his shoulders back, his Panama centered on his well-shaped head.
13
JULIO CORDOVEZ made no comment as he started the car and pulled out into the traffic stream. Dusk had begun to finger the sidewalks now and here and there a light winked on in some store window. When they came to a traffic circle that was temporarily jammed, Julio shifted into neutral and said:
'Luis Miranda was helpful?'
'Not very/' Jeff said unhappily.
'You think he knew of the tickets to New York?'
Jeff roused himself sufficiently to consider the question. In his own mind the interview with Miranda had been
