“Your mother-in-law there?”
“Is she here! She’s been with me every blessed minute.”
“Why didn’t you stay in your office and kick her out?”
“You can’t kick her out — not when she’s determined not to let you out of her sight.”
“Bosh,” Bertha snorted. “ I think she knows where your wife is, and is giving you a run-around. Kick her down the front steps and then go find your wife.”
“You don’t understand, Mrs. Cool. Suppose Mabel met the writer of that letter and heard some more lies. Suppose she decided to leave me. Can’t you see? I had to come to the house to wait. If she did decide to do something drastic, she’d have to come back here to get her clothes... Now you’ve simply got to get Nunnely to give us a little more time. This thing is one of those processions of unfortunate coincidences that have been hounding me lately... Ring up Nunnely, or better yet, go to his office, tell him that you simply have to have another twenty-four hours. He probably won’t give you that — may not give you anything — but you can try for—”
Abruptly Belder’s voice changed. Bertha heard him say in the unctuous tones he reserved for his mother-in-law, “Oh, there you are, Theresa! I was wondering where you were... Just telephoning the office, that’s all... No, she hasn’t communicated with the office. They haven’t heard anything from her... Don’t be so worked up about it. Nothing’s happened to her. She’s gone to lunch and a bridge party or something—”
Then Belder’s voice became louder and crisp with authority. “Put all the mail in the box. If anyone rings up, tell him I may not be back to the office this afternoon. If Mrs. Belder should call, ask her if she’s forgotten about her mother coming, and tell her we’re all waiting here at the house... Good-by, Imogene.”
The phone slammed in Bertha’s ear.
Bertha pressed the button which brought Elsie Brand in on the line.