"That, Mrs. Kildair, depends entirely on Mr. Beecher," repeated the detective.
"But if he acquiesces, will you act in my interests only?"
McKenna was about to interpose another evasion, when he reflected that he would have time to acquaint Beecher with what had happened and to advise him either to accept or to refuse.
"Very well," he replied cautiously, feeling instinctively that some trap was being prepared without yet perceiving what it could be. "I will leave it that way."
"Good," she said, with a little nod of her head. "Now, what have you done?"
"I can not answer that, Mrs. Kildair," he said, smiling; "not under my present arrangement."
"You have, of course, discovered that the ring belongs to Mr. Slade?"
Quite unconsciously, she had adopted his own tactics, the tactics of the inquisitor, who hurls the vital question at the suspect, and then seeks the answer in the almost imperceptible response in the eyes.
"Yes, I know that," said McKenna, who felt that the surprise he had experienced at having the tables thus turned on him had revealed the truth to the questioner. "That is, I know the ring did belong to Mr. Slade."
"Have you informed Mr. Beecher of the fact?"