“Gabriel Harvey?— That’s our launchman.”
“Exactly. And I had a devil of a time to find him. Down in a place called White Beach, hidden away with friends in a shack without a telephone.”
“But why——”
“I’ll tell you.” Rawson dropped into the desk chair, and, his elbows on the arms, leaned forward, his eyes behind their glasses traveling from one face to the other. “I went over there to look into Joe Tracy’s movements. I couldn’t find any one who’d seen him come ashore and learned that the man Gabriel who took him over, had gone to this place White Beach for deep-sea fishing. Not being able to get hold of him I went to the station to see if I could gather up anything. And I did. The baggage man told me Gabriel had been there before he left for White Beach leaving a suit-case and fishing-rod to be held till Tracy called for them. They’re there now. I saw them.”
Williams said nothing, not ready with argument till more was divulged. Bassett, in blank amazement, ejaculated:
“Why, that’s the most extraordinary thing——”
“Wait, Mr. Bassett,” Rawson raised a long commanding hand. “I hung round till the evening train came in; that’s the train Tracy was to take. I saw the conductor—it’s a small branch road and travel is light at that hour—and he remembered his passengers, two women and a child. Those were the only people who left Hayworth on the seven-fifteen, the last evening train. I went back to the village and made inquiries. Tracy had hired no vehicle at the garage or livery stable, nor had he been seen anywhere about the place. Then I got a car and went to White Beach. I was some time locating the old chap, but I finally ran him down. He said he had not taken Tracy across to the mainland last night.”
Rawson dropped back in his chair. In answer to Bassett’s expression he nodded soberly:
“Yes, it’s a pretty queer business. Gabriel said he’d told the boy to be on time; made it clear to him that he wouldn’t wait. When Tracy was not on the wharf he went to the house to look for him, saw his bag and fishing-rod in the doorway and took them. No one was about and he left—not sorry, I inferred from what he said, to give ‘the young cub’ as he called him, a lesson.”
Bassett got up: