"You underestimate my courage," Wingate assured them with a smile. "See, I will speak to you words which I swear are as true as any to which you have ever listened. I hear the footsteps of the inspector. If you fail for a single second to corroborate the story which I shall tell him, I shall shoot you both and possibly myself. Look at me, both of you. You know I have the courage to do it. You know I shall do it.—That's all."
There was a knock at the door. Grant opened it and stood on one side.
"Inspector Shields has called," he announced. "I thought you might like to have a word with him, sir."
CHAPTER XXIII
The inspector blinked for a moment. The appearance of the room, with its closely drawn curtains and air of dissipation, was certainly strange. Wingate advanced to meet him.
"You called to see Lord Dredlinton, I believe, Inspector," he began. "My name is Wingate. I am friend of the family."
"I understood that Lord Dredlinton was here," the inspector announced, looking around.
"I am sorry to say," Wingate informed him gravely, "that a very terrible thing has happened. Lord Dredlinton died suddenly in this room, only a few minutes ago. His body is upon the sofa there."
The imperturbability of the inspector was not proof against such an amazing statement.
"Good God!" he exclaimed. "Was he ill?"