“He could have come back,——”
“But he didn’t. Miss Vernon, we’ve gone into all these matters very thoroughly. What do you suppose the Police have been doing? There isn’t a possible theory we’ve overlooked, and it all comes back to the simple facts of the evidence that incriminate either Mrs. Stannard or yourself. I see no reason why I shouldn’t tell you this frankly. If you care to say anything further in your own defence, I’d be glad to hear it. Naturally, you hate to accuse Mrs. Stannard, but it rests between you two, and it looks as if an arrest would be made soon.”
Bobsy was drawing on his imagination a little, but he was bound to startle some information out of this provoking beauty.
And Natalie was startled. Her face paled as she took in the significance of Roberts’ words.
“They won’t arrest me, will they?” she whispered in a scared little voice.
“I don’t see how they can,” and Bobsy looked at the girl, wondering. That child, that little, tender bit of femininity—surely she could never have lifted her hand against a man’s life! Even had she wished to, she seemed physically incapable of striking the blow.
“Arrest you! Not much they won’t!” and Barry Stannard strode into the room.
Natalie turned to him with a little sigh of relief.
“You won’t let them, will you, Barry?” she said, as his arm slipped round her trembling shoulders.
“I should say not! Are you frightening her, Mr. Roberts? You know you’ve no authority for all this.”