“Adrian Rayner!”
“God in heaven!” as the exclamation broke from his lips Dick Bracknell looked at her in amazed conviction. “Of course, I never thought of him!”
“He is the one man who has cause to do such a thing. He knows that Joy and I suspect him of shooting you at North Star. He wanted to marry her, and he knows that that is now out of the question altogether. But he is Joy’s cousin, and Joy, as you know, is immensely wealthy. If she died up here——”
“Heavens! yes! And I would stake my life that he’s the man Roger is after, the man who caused your father’s death. He——”
“You did not tell me!” cried Joy. “How did my father die?”
“Some one blew up the ice on the river, the ice which he was bound to pass over in the morning. Of course the river froze over again in the night, but it was not strong enough to carry a man, let alone a man and a heavy sled team. He went through—and died, but if Roger is right he was diabolically murdered.”
Joy did not move. She looked at him with horror in her eyes. Then her face grew hard. “I believe, your cousin Roger is right. Adrian Rayner was abroad about the time when my father must have died. And he wanted to marry me after you had been shot at North Star, though he could not have been sure of your death.... It was my money he was after, and——”
“He’s after it yet!” cried Bracknell with conviction, “Miss La Farge is right. If you died up here—but have you made a will?”
Joy shook her head. “It was never suggested to me!”