“Jerry!”
“Here’s the boat!” Jerry cried. “Damn him, he’ll get away!” For the big hull, with her lights, her sprays of steam, her splash of screws, was beside us. “He’s swum under water to the other side; he’s come up there. He’s got away,” Jerry finished.
Of course we waited till the ship was past and waited and searched long after but found no one for our trouble.
“Where’s the money?” Jerry asked me then. “You didn’t give it to him?”
“He’s the one that met me first?” I said.
“Yes; of course. Did you give it to him?”
“No; I didn’t have it. I’m not the complete fool, Jerry. I got it from the bank and left it in our office.”
“Let’s go there.”
We entered our building by the river door and went up the back way to my office. Jerry knew those stairs; he knew where to turn in the dark; he found the light switch by feel and without fumbling. There was not the slightest doubt, when the light came on, that I was with my brother Jerry. My trouble was simply had I been with any one else?
Of course I had seen some one else in a Mackinaw coat who had fought with Jerry; but all I saw was his size and his coat; I never saw, together, two faces which were Jerry’s. I could not help thinking this as we sat down; I could not help wondering if all that business down there beside the river was a set stage play of Jerry’s to fool me.