“The body?”
“I had the oysterman take it to an undertaking establishment in the town so that we would have witnesses of everything that happened after its discovery.”
“Did any of them suggest a theory?” asked Kennedy, after a moment’s thought. “Or say anything?”
Hastings nodded negatively. “I think we were all too busy watching one another to talk,” he ventured. “I was the only one who acted, and they let me go ahead. Perhaps none of them dared stop me.”
“You don’t mean that there was a conspiracy?” I put in.
“Oh no,” smiled Hastings, indulgently. “They could never have agreed long enough, even against Marshall Maddox, to conspire. No, indeed. I mean that if one had objected, he would immediately have laid himself open to suspicion from the rest. We all went ashore together. And now I must get back to Westport immediately. I’m not even going to take time to go down to the office. Kennedy, will you come?”
“An unnecessary question,” returned Craig, rising. “A mystery like this is the breath of my life. You could scarcely keep me away.”
“Thank you,” said Hastings. “You won’t regret it, financially or otherwise.”
We went out into the hall, and Kennedy started to lock the laboratory door, when Hastings drew back.
“You’ll pardon me?” he explained. “The shot was fired at me out here. I naturally can’t forget it.”