“Why didn’t you use Orbit’s?” Dennis demanded. Then a light broke over his face. “’Tis the inspector you’ll be calling up and there’s them in that house back there—! Mac, for the love of the saints, have you found out something? Have you struck it at last?”
The dog Max who was lying in the patch of sunlight that filtered down between the houses, raised his head at the eager expectancy of Dennis’ tone and McCarty glanced at him thoughtfully.
“’Twas not me that struck anything, Denny, and ’tis only a guess yet but ’twas it ought to have struck me before this!” he replied. “We’ll have a little while to wait, and I’ll thank you to keep Goddard and that Trafford talking and not leave them out of your sight whilst I’m telephoning; I don’t want either of them listening in!”
“Then ’tis one of them, as well as somebody in Orbit’s house—!” Dennis gaped in amazement. “Mac, what kind of a devilish plot is it? You said last night ’twas too sickening to talk about—!”
“’Tis worse!” McCarty interrupted tersely. “Let be till we see what comes!”
Winch the butler, looking more aged and fragile than ever, ushered them into the drawing-room where Goddard presently appeared followed by Trafford. The stout little man had changed markedly in the past few days; his eyes were dim and the flesh of his face hung in folds as though deflated, while his voice had the trembling overtone of that of an old man.
“You—you have news for us, McCarty? Some word has reached you of—of Horace?”
“I think I know where he will be in a little while, Mr. Goddard,” McCarty replied quietly. “I’ll have to ask you to wait, though, till the inspector gets here, and I’ll have to ’phone him. Can I use the one in your smoking-room? I want to be dead sure it’s private for I’ve got to talk confidential.—Thanks, Trafford, I know the way.”
Waiting only for Goddard’s nod he cast a quick admonitory glance at Dennis and hastened away. The latter cast about wildly in his mind for a safe topic to pursue, but the burden was lifted from him.
“What is it, Riordan? For God’s sake, what does McCarty mean?” Goddard turned to him.