Page:More lives than one.djvu/141

 and the Bridge business. No, it couldn’t be. The more I think it over, the more I think there was some mistake. I mean Maddy was thought to be some one else—the blow was intended for another woman.”

“I hadn’t thought of that. It might be,” and Barham looked hopeful. “It would be awful enough, but I’d liefer that, Nick, than to know that somebody really wanted Maddy’s life.”

“Well, the thing to do is to get Locke. Then, if he’s the good sort that Jarvis thinks him, and if he didn’t do it, he can doubtless help us a whole lot.”

“But if he didn’t do it, why is he hiding?”

“There you go again—round the circle! I don’t know, I’m sure—but there could be reasons. Say he’s innocent, but there’s circumstantial evidence against him. Say he’s innocent, but he’s shielding somebody else. Say he met with foul play himself.”

Barham nodded. “Ingenious but not very plausible. However, I doubt if he’ll ever be found. And, in that case, they’ll drop the whole matter, won’t they?”

“Not so long as they can think of some other way to look. That Hutchins is an alert sort, and Dickson is a smart man. Also, they’re interested. It’s an unusual case—and a picturesque case. Forgive me, Drew, but you’re so sensible, I’m sure you can see for yourself, that a mystery culminating in the death of a society belle, is more intriguing than an ordinary case of murder. Then there is Pearl Jane.”

Barham looked up. “Who’s she?”

“She’s the Miss Cutler I spoke to you about. Did you ever hear such a name? Pearl Jane! Well, it seems she was found bending over the body and there was blood on her sleeve—also there was blood on Locke’s sleeve”