what the reason was, and I didnât argue much but stood by the side of the car, talking through the window, with the nurse leaning forward to hear and Mr. York speaking up now and then. In a minute or two another car drove up and Mr. Bledsoe got out. I introduced him, and he took off his hat politely and said: âLetâs go inside.â
âWhen the officers come,â said Jill. âIf you want to go in Mr. Bledsoe, please do, but weâre staying hereââ
âI said, letâs go in,â Bledsoe snapped. âTheyâll be here any minute, and we have to talkâ now !â
âWell, who are you,â snapped York, âto be telling this girl what she does?â
âJames J. Bledsoe, attorney at law, representing Mr. Howell. I suggest that Miss Kreeger accept me as counsel too. Sheâs in trouble and time is running short.â
âTrouble?â said York. â Trouble ? Here sheâs the heroine of the year and you try to say sheâs in trouble.â
âIf Mantle says so, she is.â
Jill drew a blank, looking first at me and then at York. âWhoâs Mantle?â he asked.
âI think she knows.â
âWhatâs this about?â snapped Jill. âWhat in the hellâs it about? I never heard of Mantle.â
By that time I was nudging Bledsoe who was staring at Jill. I took him aside and whispered: âSheâs not the one Mantle knows.â Suddenly he backed water, apologizing as hard as he knew how, but insisting all over again that Jill âcould be in troubleâ and begging her to come in, âso we can get together on what we tell the police when they come.â
Jill looked at me. When I nodded, York saw me do it. He whispered something to her and she said: âOK.â But she flinched when she put her weight on her feet, and once more I carried her. She put her right arm around my neck.
7
I INTRODUCED MOM WHO took charge. She pointed at the armchair for Jill, the sofa for me and herself, and various chairs for the nurse, York, and Bledsoe. But I set Jill down on the sofa, camped beside her myself, and let everyone else, including Mom, find places where they could. Bledsoe got to the point at once: âLetâs get going. Whatâs Mantle suspicious about?â
âWhat ainât he suspicious about?â asked Mom. âHeâs a rat. He suspicions everyoneâfor no reason.â
Bledsoe eyed her, comprehending at last what his friend had heard on the phone but hadnât rightly got the point of. But when he looked at me, I sidestepped. âWell, I wouldnât know,â I faltered.
âDave! You do know. Spit it out!â
âThe little he said,â I told him, âhe seemed to think it funny I killed Shaw around 5:30 and didnât call in until 6:00. I explained to him the shape Miss Kreeger was in, how I was actually afraid she would dieââ
âI would have,â she cut in.
âWell, she could have,â said the nurse. âShe was in dreadful shape when we got her. Sheâs in pretty bad shape now .â
âWhy didnât you call, Mrs. Howell?â Bledsoe asked. âDid Mantle go into that?â
âI explained it to him over and over,â Mom answered. âThat I was out looking for the money, to find it and claim the reward. I started looking right off, and thatâs why I didnât call. It wasnât my fault it wasnât there. I found them the parachute, thoughâa lot of thanks I got.â
Bledsoe thought this over and asked: âIs that what you told Mantle?â
âEdgren did the talking.â
âEdgren, then?â
âWhat else was there to tell him?â
He thought some more, then asked me: âSo whatâs Mantle suspicious of? Or Edgren? Or whichever it is?â
âI donât know.â
âCome on, Dave, letâs have it.â
âPerhaps I might