Unavoidably my mind raced ahead to Sanchez, who had followed her so jealously. Had he really been in love with her—a love as hopeless as her own for Maddox? Or was he a more sinister figure? Had they been playing a game, each having an insight into the weakness of this unhappy family? I recalled the conversation I had had with Henri in the cabaret and his noncommittal shrug. Perhaps Sanchez and Paquita had been deeper than we had thought.
“And now,” resumed Kennedy, evidently temporizing in the hope that word would soon come from the searchers whom we had out, “now we find that a final effort has been made to remove all incriminating traces of crime. The car which we could not locate in the garage here has been found hidden miles away. The fast motor-boat which escaped us last night lies at the bottom of the bay. At the same time an insidious stock-market attack has been wrecked, for it was a final purpose in this ambitious scheme evidently to wreck Maddox Munitions in order to gain control of it. Even my own resources of science must have failed if it had not been for the loyalty of one who cast all into the balance at the final moment.”
We were following Kennedy intently now, and I did not betray that I saw Shelby’s hand steal out and clasp that of Winifred, which was resting on a table beside his bed. She did not withdraw her own hand.
The telephone rang and Burke, who was nearest it, answered.
The conversation was brief. Evidently the party at the other end was doing most of the talking, but as we scanned the detective’s face we could see that something important had happened.
“You do not know where Sanchez has gone?” asked Burke, finally, adding, “Keep the boys on the trail then, until you get some clue. Good-by.”
He hung up the receiver slowly and turned toward Kennedy, but I do not think any of us were prepared for his message.
“Paquita has committed suicide!” he blurted out, suddenly.
We looked at one another in amazement at this startling turn of events.
What did it mean? Had she seen nothing more to live for, or had some one pursued her and was she anticipating fate?