“And she was just as determined to hang on to Carrol,” Shayne stated. “How many people knew of her plan to come down here and compromise her husband?”
“I’m sure I don’t know. It hardly seems a subject she would discuss with many people.” The Wilmington lawyer’s tone was sharp with disgust.
“Margrave?” the redhead demanded.
“I would think not. Not to my knowledge, at least.”
“Are you certain Margrave didn’t know you planned to retain Michael Shayne for the scheme?”
“I can’t say I’m certain. It would be a complete surprise, however, to learn that Mr. Margrave knew anything about it.”
“How about Ted Granger?” Shayne probed. “Don’t you suppose she told him what she planned?”
Attorney Bates hesitated and glared at the redhead with cold, angry eyes. “Any conjecture I might make on that score would not be evidence.”
“You’re not on the witness stand,” Shayne reminded him. “Have you reason to think she confided in Granger?”
Bates shifted his position slightly, then said, “From my slight knowledge of the — ah — alleged scandal, I would say there is a possibility she did. Granger flew down with me from Wilmington. He feels extremely bad about the whole affair, and he confided to me that he came to give Mrs. Carrol what comfort he could. He talked rather excitedly and in a roundabout way, but now that I think back over the conversation, I believe that perhaps he did mention Nora’s plan to see Ralph last night. He — ah — was most anxious to have me promise that I would not volunteer the information to the police; and was greatly upset when I related the gist of your call last night, and explained that the decision did not lie in my hands. All this serves to give the inference that he was aware of Nora’s plan,” he pointed out in his dryly legalistic manner, “but I don’t understand how that fact can have any importance.”