As I came round the bend of the stairs, a shiver seemed to run through him. He gave a little moan like an animal that's been hurt. Then he turned and stumbled down the corridor. I heard his feet on the bare stairboards leading to the attic room as I reached the top of the stairs. I went after him, up the staircase to the room where he had put my mother. He was standing there in the middle of the bare room. Behind him was the iron-barred window. He was still trembling.
I pulled the door to. The key with which Mrs Brynd had opened it for him was still in the lock. I turned it. The hatch was open. He hadn't moved. He just stood there, the lamp in his hand. I went back down the little staircase then.
In his room I found all I wanted. I towelled myself down and changed into dry clothes. I found some oilskins and a sou'wester. I made a bundle of them and went downstairs to his son's office. His desk was almost clear of papers and the safe door was closed. I had expected that. He would have got rid of all dangerous papers and hidden his surplus cash. I was looking for something quite different. I found it in the bottom drawer of the desk under a pile of bills. It was a .38 Service pattern revolver. There were rounds for it in a cardboard box. I loaded the weapon and slipped it inside the oilskins; I wasn't taking any chances with Mulligan.
There was a tap at the door and Kitty entered. She had on a brown tweed suit and her hair was brushed back and tied with a ribbon. She had a bottle in her hand and a glass. 'I thought you'd need a drink,' she said hesitantly.
'What is it — Scotch?'
She nodded and poured me out half a tumblerful. 'There, drink that up,' she said. 'You need it after all you've done today.'
'I'll say I do.' She gave me the glass and I took a big gulp. I could feel the fiery liquid running down into my stomach. I gasped and drank again. 'What about you?' I asked. 'You need some, too.'
'Yes,' she said. 'Perhaps I do.'
I passed her the tumbler. She took a sip at it and made a wry face. 'Go on,' I said. 'It'll keep you warm.' She nodded and drank again. Her face flushed and she gasped.
I took the glass from her and finished it off. 'We'd better get moving,' I said, looking at my watch. It was a quarter to four.