Belknap walked away from her and back, restlessly.
“Nadia,” he said slowly, “I have things to say to you I never intended saying. But I see I must be honest with you to bring you to your senses. You have got to be shocked into fighting if we are going to save ourselves for each other. Which is all that’s left that matters—our having each other—isn’t it?”
“It is,” she whispered breathlessly, a hand at her throat.
“Then you will understand and forgive, for that reason, and for another, almost as important, that you are no better than I am. We are birds of a feather and can properly appreciate each other,” he added with a grim laugh.
“What do you mean?”
“I mean we are equally criminals, Nadia. In this case I happen to be the worse one of the two. I’ve killed five people (that is, if Joel Lacey is dead yet) since four o’clock this morning. Rather a record, isn’t it? Do you know, there have been times when I was sure you guessed, more than guessed. And on top of it I have made you confess to the whole show, which was also plotted. I planted that circumstantial evidence upon you, dear. Couldn’t you see? I was intent on beating you at your own game. God, what a beautiful job I made of it! One of my best. And now to have it busted up by a slip of a woman. Not that it isn’t worth it,— Nadia, don’t look at me like that. You’re not looking at me. What are you—”
The dining-room door behind Belknap had stood ajar by the shadow of an inch. It was now thrown open and Stebbins and Berry advanced on Belknap.
“Hands up!” Stebbins thundered.
“It’s hands up, Belknap,” Berry said. “Thank you, Miss Mdevani. That was splendidly done. You acted—”
Berry should have saved his congratulations. As Belknap raised his hands he drew his pistol from his shoulder holster, and, though he would never have had the extra second to swing on his captors, he did have the split fraction of a second to fire straight before him. The shot of his 38 calibre police revolver was deafening. Nadia, shot directly through the breast, put her two hands where the bullet had entered, and without a sound fell in an uneven heap at Belknap’s feet.