“She let you in because you look easy. What did she tell you?”
“She’s a low opinion of Sin Lewis.”
“Who?” said Dibley.
“But she’s keen on Miss Cather.”
“Who?”
Sin Lewis, so put to him, seemed to suggest somebody, possibly one of similar name who was on Dib’s list for rum-running or using the mails to defraud; but Cather wasn’t on his cards at all.
“They write books,” I explained. “We started talking about books.” I thought it just as well to use the truth as long as possible.
“Books!” he jeered me.
I remained polite. “How would you have started?” I asked courteously. “Something like this? ‘Good afternoon, Miss Wellington or whatever your real name is. I suspect you’re a crook but for the moment don’t place you. Now if you’ll just tell me——’”