“Why, he couldn’t pay it back, Clem. Or he wouldn’t, I guess. He’s promised to go straight, but I don’t know if he will. I’m responsible, of course. If it wasn’t for me he wouldn’t have come here and taken it.”
“When was it he took it?” asked Clem coldly.
“About three, he said. The other night he saw you get your keys out and open the suit-case, and he heard us talking, and to-day—”
“Saw us through the door, eh?”
“No, he says the door wasn’t quite closed. But he didn’t think of stealing the money until to-day. He came up here to ask me for another loan, and we were both out, and he remembered about the money in the suit-case and—and took it.”
“And no one saw him?” asked Clem incredulously.
“He says Mr. Tarbot saw him go by his study but didn’t pay any attention.”
“That’s hard to believe. And look here, Jim, I don’t remember that door being ajar. My recollection is that you closed it tight when you came in from the hall.”
“I guess I meant to, but maybe I didn’t, because Webb saw you go to your drawer and get the keys.”
Clem jumped up impatiently, went to the door and set it open an inch or two. “Like that?” he asked, with a trace of sarcasm. “Tell me how he could have seen me go to the closet and open the bag on the floor there.”