The firm of expert accountants who
had examined the books some two months before testified that
every bond, every piece of valuable paper, was there at that
time. It had been shortly after their examination that the
president, who had been in bad health, had gone to California.
Mr. Bailey was still ill at the Knickerbocker, and in this, as in
other ways, Gertrude's conduct puzzled me. She seemed
indifferent, refused to discuss matters pertaining to the bank,
and never, to my knowledge, either wrote to him or went to see
him.
Gradually I came to the conclusion that Gertrude, with the rest
of the world, believed her lover guilty, and--although I believed
it myself, for that matter--I was irritated by her indifference.
Girls in my day did not meekly accept the public's verdict as to
the man they loved.
But presently something occurred that made me think that under
Gertrude's surface calm there was a seething flood of emotions.
Tuesday morning the detective made a careful search of the
grounds, but he found nothing. In the afternoon he disappeared,
and it was late that night when he came home. He said he would
have to go back to the city the following day, and arranged with
Halsey and Alex to guard the house.
Liddy came to me on Wednesday morning with her black silk apron
held up like a bag, and her eyes big with virtuous wrath. It was
the day of Thomas' funeral in the village, and Alex and I were in
the conservatory cutting flowers for the old man's casket.
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