"Yeah, but we don't want to do that," said Fred. "Then we'd never know."
Alice ignored him. "Why don't you do that, Innes?"
"I I "
"You don't want to, do you?" she purred sweetly. "I know. Suppose we all run away and say we're safe, and she gets to thinking about murder . . . suppose she picksj out one of her sisters . . . suppose she kills your mother,! Innes ... or Josephine? Goodness knows, she must bej partly crazy. You can't just ignore this sort of thing and goj away and say, Tm safe so what's the difference?' You] couldn't do that, Innes, I know."
"No," he said, licking his lips nervously, "no, I .. ."
"Well, then," said Alice, "if we want to stop it and set'] tie the whole thing . . ."
Killeen said, "You're swell, Alice! You're perfecdy swell! But, don't you see, if it were anyone but you. . . . We can't let you be bait for this trap."
"Why not? I make pretty good bait, don't I?"
"Nuts, Brennan," said Fred sofdy.
"No . . . no . . ." said Innes. "The risk, my dear. The risk for you!"
Alice felt a wave of shame. She said, with sudden honesty, "I don't mean . . . Listen, I'm not so awful brave as all that. I only ... I don't want to run away." Tears stung behind her lids.
Fred said, ''We got the idea. Now you can run along. You'd better."
"Darling, it isn't safe . . ."
Alice was furious. "So who wants to be all the time safe!" she cried at them all. "I won't go. No, I won't. Not unless Innes goes, and I mean that"
KiUeen said, "Very Well. I won't go unless you do, and I mean that, too."
Duff said, "Fire, fire, bum stick, stick won't beat dog
99
• • •
Innes was all atremble. "But what shall we do? How ... what's the best... 7"
"What can you do?" said Fred in disgust "The lady wants to be a hera"
"I do not," snapped Alice. "I haven't the slightest intention ... I only th-thought . . ." She was shocked to find the tears escaped and rolling down her face.
Duff said calmly, "We must do the best we can."
They all turned. "We are in your hands, after all," said Killeen, " 'Lay on, Mac Duff, and damned be he who fijst cries . . .' "
MacDougal Duff looked pained. 'The cross I bear," he said. "Yes, of course." His lids fell, hiding the eyes. "Let Killeen appear to leave. He can come back secretiy. Let us rearrange ourselves, to be as safe as possible. Alice, my dear, we shall hide you somewhere. Mr. Whitiock must have a substitute, with soimd ribs. Let us then lie low and wait and see." He looked veiy sad and tired. "Our best may not be good enough."
"Thank you," said Alice.
She went out of the room blindly, but Killeen was after her. "You mustn't be alone," he whispered. "Where are you going?"
"To get my handkerchief."
"Darling"—he put his arm lightly around her—"why don't you take the train with me?"
"I don't want to. I don't know."
His arm fell away, a little stiffly. "You're in love with Innes."
"Don't be silly."
Alice wept quietly before her mirror and then tidied her face, wondering what she was crying about. Nerves, she thought. When she came out into the hall, determined to be composed, she found Fred on guard beside her door. She looked at him hostilely.
"I wish you'd change your mind," he said mildly. "No kidding. It's dangerous."
"Why don't you leave," said Alice fiercely, "if you don't like it here?"
"Uh, uh," he said. "I'm going to get into that bed and see if we can't fool them some. We're going to sneak Innes into my room. You and Killen wUl stay with him."
"It's dangerous," she said.
He snatched at her wrist. "I think you're crazy! What do you want to stick around and risk your life for? Listen, for the love of Mike, will you get some sense and scram out of here?"
"No."
"Why not!"
"The same to you."
"It isn't the same to me. For God's sake, stop saying that."
"I suppose if the ceiling falls down on Innes's bed and you're in it, that's not dangerous? What do you want to risk your life for?"
"It's my life, and I happen to have been bom stubborn. This is a rotten house, and the people are rotten, and I don't like them, and I want to see them put away where they belong, and it's no business of yours."
"My hero," said Alice.
"Shut up. What the hell's the matter with you? I can't leave him now."
"All right. I can't leave him either. Fred, it's a reflex. You said so yourself."
"Damn it. Listen, the only reason I give a damn . . . It's my fault you're here. I faked that breakdown with the car. I thought . . ."
"Oh, you did. What did you think?"
"I thought rd help you out."
"Oh, you did?"
"Yeah, sure. Thought if he hadda drag you in to meet his family it'd put you on the right basis. You wanted to marry him, then, remember? I didn't know you'd hooked him already."
"Never mind," she said. "Just the same, how can I run away? This is bad and rotten."
"Go onr he said.
"You said so yourself. You know we have to see it througji. And we have to help Mr. Duff, and we have to take ttie risk! Because we can't help it, either of us. Murder just happens to be against our principles."
"Principles!"
"We didn't think we had any," she said. "Isn't it funny?"
"It's a scream." Fred regarded her with level eyes, remote, speculative. "Why won't you go on that train with KiUeen?" Then, with anger breaking through, "You're in love mth him, aren't you?"
Alice nipped around on her heel and started down the hall. He ran after her and turned her around. "You're bound and determined to risk your life in this madhouse?" He was watching her face. What he said lacked steam.
Alice raised her eyes, round and innocent. "Why, you will protect me, Fred," she said demurely.
"How do you know!" He was furious.
"I don't know how I know, but I do know," said Alice childishly.
"I sure as hell will," he said through his teeth. "Fll protect you, never fear." He put his hand on her shoulder and spun her around. "And if you don't spend the most im-comfortable night you ever spent in your life . . . Go on, get in there."
Alice let him shove her back into Imies's room. Why, she wondered for a fleeting second, does it make me happy when Fred gets angry?
Killeen came swiftly to her. "I've got to go in a minute. Alice, I'm coming back, you know. Don't be too frightened."
"Fm not afraid at all," she said, and saw Fred's scowl and felt delighted.
"I've been thinking, Mr. Duff." Alice looked at him sharply. He was so grave and quietly concerned and the well-bred servant, suddenly. "Miss Brennan will have to be in here with me. You see, I'm supposed to be Mr, Whidock, and they ought to seem to be together. You know, because the whole point is to kill them off in succession, isn't it? She can get in there behind that headboard. She's skinny."
"Thanks," said Alice. "Don't you mean slender?"
"Then I can be sure she's not roaming around some place," Fred went on serenely. "She might get some crazy idea. Of course, it'll be more or less uncomfortable ... But don't you get my point, sir?"
"I do," said Duff, veiling his eyes and pulling his long upper lip down. "I see your point, I think."
Killeen looked about to protest. Innes looked startled. But Duff took charge.
"Mr. Killeen, you must leave this house now. Your train is nearly due. I -shall leave at the same time. These ar- : rangements stand. Be very careful and very quiet about shifting around up here."
"Yes, sir," said Fred.
"Alice, is there a key in your door?"
"Yes, sir," she said.
"Lock it, then. Better if they can't discover too easily that you're not there."
"I see."
"Mr. Killeen will return by this window as soon as this room dims to a night light."