I believe, just as
surely, that young Walker brought home from California the
knowledge of something of the sort and, failing in his effort to
reinstall Mrs. Armstrong and her daughter here, he, or a
confederate, has tried to break into the house. On two occasions
I think he succeeded."
"On three, at least," I corrected. And then I told him about the
night before. "I have been thinking hard," I concluded, "and I
do not believe the man at the head of the circular staircase was
Doctor Walker. I don't think he could have got in, and the voice
was not his."
Mr. Jamieson got up and paced the floor, his hands behind him.
"There is something else that puzzles me," he said, stepping
before me. "Who and what is the woman Nina Carrington? If it
was she who came here as Mattie Bliss, what did she tell Halsey
that sent him racing to Doctor Walker's, and then to Miss
Armstrong? If we could find that woman we would have the whole
thing."
"Mr. Jamieson, did you ever think that Paul Armstrong might not
have died a natural death?"
"That is the thing we are going to try to find out," he
replied. And then Gertrude came in, announcing a man below to
see Mr. Jamieson.
"I want you present at this interview, Miss Innes," he said.
"May Riggs come up? He has left Doctor Walker and he has
something he wants to tell us."
Riggs came into the room diffidently, but Mr. Jamieson put him at
his ease. He kept a careful eye on me, however, and slid into a
chair by the door when he was asked to sit down.
Pages:
207
208
209
210
211
212
213
214
215
216
217
218
219
220
221
222
223
224
225
226
227
228
229
230
231