He stood half erect, crouching back against the wall, his
eyes glued on the opening, his hand fumbling nervously for the
revolver in his pocket.
Some one was climbing up the cliff!
CHAPTER XXIII
A MESSAGE AND ITS ANSWER
Charlie Webster met Alix at the ferry. The body of the drowned
girl had been removed to Hart's Undertaking Parlours and Expert
Carpenter's Shop in obedience to the County Coroner's instructions
by telephone.
The fat man was so overcome by excitement he could hardly speak.
Sitting beside Alix in the automobile, he rattled on at a great
rate about the extraordinary turn of affairs, and it was not until
they were nearly home that he discovered she was sobbing quietly
in her corner of the car.
"Gosh, what are you crying for, Alix?" he demanded. "It's the
greatest piece of good fortune that ever--"
"I am thinking of poor Mrs. Vick," she murmured chokingly.
"Oh! Yes, that's right. It's terrible for that poor woman. Terrible.
As I was saying, the last anybody saw of him was when he started
for the Tavern. Gilfillan follered him part ways and then went
back to the ferry, never dreaming he--But didn't I tell you that
before? I'm so upset I don't seem to remember what I--Oh, yes,
now I know where I was. The detectives insisted on searching every
room in the Tavern. Angie Miller got as sore as a boiled lobster
when they knocked on her door and asked if he was in her room.
Pages:
327
328
329
330
331
332
333
334
335
336
337
338
339
340
341
342
343
344
345
346
347
348
349
350
351