“Sportsman be damned! Wouldn’t have done it for him alone. I was thinking of the girl.”
“And what happened?”
“Oh, it was hushed up as much as possible. I had to send in my papers, of course, but the fellow didn’t prosecute. Then that hound Stanworth got wind of the story somehow and managed to lay his hands on the check, which had never been destroyed. Perfect godsend to him, of course. Gave me choice of taking on this job with him or letting the whole thing be passed on to the police. No alternative. I had to take on the job.”
“But why on earth did he want you as his secretary? That’s what I can’t understand.”
“Simple enough. He wanted to push his way in among the sort of people I knew. I was a sort of social sponsor for him. Damned unpleasant job, of course, but what could I do? Besides, when I took the job on I didn’t know anything about him. Thought he was just a new-rich merchant and I was his only victim in the threatening line. Soon found out, of course; but too late to back out then. That’s all. Satisfied?”
“Perfectly. Sorry I had to ask you, but you see how it is. Well, I’m dashed if I can blame you. I’d have done the same thing myself. But I’d like to have the story of it from your own lips.”
“Just told you the story.”
“No, the other one, I mean.”
“What other one?”
“Oh, don’t beat about the bush like this. You know perfectly well what I’m driving at. I’ll put it in the original form, if you like. Where were you during the night that Stanworth died?”