"What a modest demand," jeered Cass. "And if Mrs. Moxton surrenders her property as you wish, what then?"
"I shall tell you who killed Moxton. Oh, you need not look at me as though I was an accessory before the fact. I did not see the deed done. I knew nothing about it at the time, but by putting this and that together in a way," sneered Busham, "which you are all too ignorant to understand, I have a knowledge of who killed Edgar, and why he was killed. Don't mistake me. I hold all the threads of this case. If I get my price I shall save Mrs. Moxton by revealing the name of the murderer. Should she refuse my just demand, I shall denounce her to the police and let justice take its course."
"Justice!" echoed Janet, with scorn. "And by your own showing my unhappy sister is innocent."
"I know that," retorted Busham, with an ugly look, "and I can prove her innocence. No one else can."
There was a silence for a few minutes, and then Ellis spoke quietly and to the point. "Do you know, Busham, that I feel very much inclined to kick you," said he. "You are proposing blackmail."
"Call it what you like, but give me my price."
"For what? For information which we know already?"
Busham started from his seat in nervous haste. "You know already!"
"Yes. Do you think Mr. Cass and I have been idle all this time--that we have not strained every nerve to baffle a scoundrel like you, and protect two innocent women from your blackmail? You are a little late, Mr. Busham. We know who killed Moxton."
"You--you--you know!" stammered the scoundrel, white to the lips.