Rodgers’ gaze was transferred from the clock to Kitty. “Was your aunt aware of the relationship?” he asked.
“I imagine not. We haven’t spoken of Colonel Holt for years,” she answered. “Inspector Mitchell said the law suit was one of your big cases.”
“I was called in as a handwriting expert.” Rodgers moved restlessly. “Has Mitchell discovered any clues to your aunt’s murder?”
“If he has, he has not confided them to me,” she smiled mirthlessly. “He has succeeded in making me feel very uncomfortable—”
“In what way?” quickly.
“With his suspicions,” she hesitated. “He insinuated that—” she did not complete her sentence; her eyes had strayed to the framed photograph of Leigh Wallace standing on a near-by table. After all, she could not voice her suspicions to Edward Rodgers. For nearly a month she had been aware of a growing coolness between the two men, and Wallace had been at no pains to conceal his anger whenever he had seen Kitty walking or motoring with Rodgers. Kitty had never detected any alteration in Rodgers’ manner to Wallace. Whatever his opinion of the latter’s surly behavior it had been cloaked under his customary air of good fellowship.
“I have something to tell you of more importance than Inspector Mitchell’s veiled insinuations,” she said, speaking rapidly to cover her change of topic. “Just after the Inspector’s departure I was standing here by this table,” indicating it as she spoke, “when the sound of voices reached me and I heard Oscar say: ‘I’se done looked an’ looked, an’ I tell yo’ ole Miss never left no sech papers.’ And a woman’s voice replied: ‘Please, please keep up your search, Oscar. I’ll give you more than I promised—a hundred dollars more.’”
Rodgers threw away his cigarette and stared at Kitty.
“Who was the woman?” he demanded.
“I do not know.” Kitty rose and walked over to the Dutch door. “I tried to light the library lamp and wasted valuable seconds hunting for matches. When I finally got the lamp lighted, I found that I was alone in the library and the voices had come through this panel,” laying her hand on it as she spoke. “I dashed outside but Oscar and his companion had disappeared in the darkness.”