Hollister dropped the loose papers he had at that moment removed from a smaller drawer of the secretary.
“Do you mean to say that you two are going on with Meredith’s plan?” he stammered. “You are going through with the marriage farce?”
Curtis bowed affirmatively. “We are,” he said. “Anne and I have just reached that decision.”
“I’ll be everlastingly blessed!” Hollister sat back and contemplated his companion in astonishment. It was some seconds before he spoke. “Anne is a damned sight cleverer than I thought!”
“I don’t get your meaning?”
“You don’t, heh? Well,” Hollister pulled himself up short, “let’s see what we can find in this desk.” He stooped over and picked up the papers which he had dropped some moments before. “Receipted bills, household accounts,” running his eyes down them. “Stop a minute, what’s this?” He unfolded as he spoke a legal-size sheet. “Evidently part of an inventory, furniture and so on. Here’s a notation in one corner, written crisscross, in John’s hand: ‘Contents of safe deposit belongs to’—that’s all,” looking up blankly at Curtis.
“Well, what about it?” asked Curtis, with growing impatience.
“Oh, nothing.” Hollister refolded the paper, gathered the others in a neat bundle and replaced them in the drawer, but the legal-size sheet with its inventory of “furniture and so on,” he slipped inside his coat pocket.
“Put it back,” advised Curtis sternly. Hollister’s mouth dropped open and his hand fell to his side.
“How?” he began, then turned fiercely on Curtis. “Damn it, you can see!”