"Why—why, he's dead—Mr. Blair's dead."
"No! When did he die?"
"Coupla months ago. Murdered."
"What!"
"Yep, murdered."
Peter hung up the receiver from sheer inability to do anything else.
Of course it couldn't be true. Blair couldn't have been murdered, and he must have misunderstood that last word. But his arm seemed paralyzed when he tried again to take hold of the telephone.
He sank back in his chair and tried to think.
His subconscious mind told him that he had not misunderstood—that Gilbert was murdered. He knew he had heard the word correctly, and people do not make such statements unless they are true.
His thoughts gradually untangled themselves and he began to grapple with the most important problems.