“Will you kindly do as I ask?” he said. With Mannie at his side, Vance walked quickly from the room. Once in the hall, the boy laid a detaining hand upon the arm of the older man.
“If you’ll take my advice, which you won’t,” he said, “we’ll all cut and run now, while we got the chance!”
In the library, Gaylor turned savagely upon his fellow conspirator.
“Well!” he demanded.
Rainey frowned at him sulkily. “I wash my hands of the whole thing!” he cried.
Gaylor dropped his voice to a whisper.
“What are you afraid of now?” he demanded. “If you’re not afraid of a district attorney, why are you afraid of a reporter?”
“I’m not afraid of anybody,” returned Rainey, thickly. “But, I don’t mean to be a party to no murder!” He paused, shaking his head portentously. “That man in there,” he whispered, nodding toward the bedroom, “is in no condition to go through this. After that shock this morning, and last night—it’ll kill him. His heart’s rotten, I tell you, rotten!”
Garrett snarled contemptuously.
“How do you know?” he demanded.