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Rh "Cagey, aren't you? Not that I blame you; I suppose I'm under suspicion myself along with the rest. And the opinions I've expressed to you of my family aren't exactly dutiful; are they? The fact is that I have no more use for any of them than they have for me, and plain speaking is one of the few indulgences left to me. Aunt Effie is the only one who hasn't treated me ever since I can remember as though I were some sort of blight on the family. Not that I'm looking for sympathy." The black eyes flashed. "I'm not trying to make out a brief for myself, Sergeant; but I wouldn't take the trouble to put any of them out of the way."

Despite the callous words Odell felt a certain sympathy for the pitiful, repulsive creature lying there; for beneath the bitter contempt he read the underlying resentment of the boy's lonely, proud spirit. Warped though his mentality might be by constant brooding over his infirmity, there had been a ring of sincerity im his tone, and the detective responded quickly:

"I do not think that you would. But about Gerda; your mother was quite satisfied with her services, was she not? Liked her, in fact?"

"I suppose so or she would not have kept her along. What's the idea, Sergeant? Think her a bit above her place? She may be; but if she has any ulterior motive in being here, you can take it from me it is not for the purpose of exterminating us."

Could he have spoken from knowledge? Was there a mystery within a mystery in this strange household? In the presence of this weirdly precocious lad the detective experienced again that same sense of bafflement which had