Fred Starratt stood up slowly, repressing a desire to leap suddenly to his feet. He walked up and down the cluttered room twice. Storch watched him narrowly.
"Six in the party?" Fred echoed. "Any women?"
Storch rubbed his palms together. "There may be two … providing your wife comes back with him… Mrs. Hilmer sent for her."
"Mrs. Hilmer!"
Storch smiled his usual broad smile, exhibiting his green teeth.
"She developed a whim to attend the launching… Naturally she wished her dearest friend with her."
Fred Starratt sat down. He was trembling inwardly, but he knew instinctively that he must appear nonchalant and calm. He guessed at once that it would not do for him to betray the fact that suddenly he realized how completely he had been snared. Yet his trepidation must have communicated itself, for Storch leaned forward with the diabolical air of an inquisitor and said:
"Does it matter in the least whether there is one victim or six?"
Fred managed to reply, coolly, "Not the slightest … but I have been thinking in terms of one."
Storch smiled evilly. "That would have been absurd in any case. There are always a score or so of bystanders who …"