She thrust him away and fled. Figures were waiting for her. She joined them, and all melted into nothingness beneath the trees. Then Gray stumbled outside with his hand in Vladimir’s collar.
“Did he get her, Cunningham?” he cried shakenly. “If he did, I swear I’ll fling him to them! Did he get her?”
“N-no,” said Cunningham unevenly. He wiped the sweat off his forehead. “They’re all gone. But——”
He knelt beside a dark bundle on the ground. A groan came to his ears, curiously muffled. He struck a match and found the sheriff securely trussed up and blinking at the match-flame with panic-stricken eyes.
“It’s the sheriff,” said Cunningham. “Maybe he’s hurt.”
But a babble of words that began before the gag was completely out of his mouth proved that the sheriff was only scared.
“Scared green, that’s all,” said Gray curtly. He shook Vladimir as a terrier might shake a rat. “You thought there were burglars?” he roared. “Try to get away with that again! You aimed for that girl!”
He tossed Vladimir to the ground, wrathfully.
“What girl?” purred Vladimir, as he scrambled to his feet. “Was there a girl? Are you in communication with my brother’s murderers? And helping them to escape, too? I think you will go to jail, my friend.”
But Gray went indoors with Cunningham, laughing.