The Daily Alaska empire., 1933-06-14
Chapter 26 THE CONFERENCE

THE CONFERENCE
 CHE went with us back to my O room. We chose that room with. out thinking about 1t. I suppose be cause we had met and talked there before and because 1t was warm and the wing was deserted and thus we would be apt to have no. ob. servers. The police, Lorn said dry, ly, were e'stationed at various places around the hotel.
 Were like rats in trap" said Sue suddenly and caught her breath.
 And so began another strange conference in that old-fashioned room in the cold. deserted wing. with the fire cracking now and then, and the wind blowing in the court below and outside the win, dows.
 Lorn and l did most of the talk. ing. Sue was very quiet and pale, and there had been tears on her cheeks. Our talk was not long, for we were all desperately weary and shaken with the ugly affair of the afternoon. It was, however. impor. tant; particularly important in view of what happened later. See here." 1 said abruptly. ,"I know you consider the Lovschiems your friends. But want to suggest something. Why don't you tell Madame that you've put the token in bank? A bank in Paris or Lon don or somewhere.
 Don't tell me where you have it perhaps that's exactly what you did-at any rate. think you're wise to keep its whereabouts . secret. But that will put them off"
 Always providing" interrupted Sue dangerously. that my friends who have been my only friends for a long and hard year are planning to murder me for an inheritance that they don't even know I've got"
 Always providing that" said. wishing 1 could shake her.
 It was curious how easily little flame of queer antagonism could leap up between us; 1t was as if for a flash each resented something in the other. 1 resented her noi agreeing with me, and then l knew that somehow she had kind Of hold upon me or l shouldn't have hated her disagreeing with me. and so then something in me resented that hold upon me.
 And in another second there was no feeling of resentment at all. only a warm kind of pleasure be. cause she was there. sitting quietly before me. her bright head bent. and the fine angle of her chin faint ly pink against the black velvet of her tightly buttoned coat. her slen der feet on the rug. her whole love ly body slim and fine and yet beauti- fully rounded.
 said in a matter-of-fact way:
 We can scarcely help wondering about the Lovschiems. You admit. ted that your mother might have told them something. They are here-managing the hotel. Who else is there to suspect?"
 "VUEvE been over all this be-
 w fore," said Sue. And, anyway you have no evidence against either of them."
 That's quite true." said Lorn dryly. There's not one definite thing we've got against Lovschiem.'
 Unless we can prove he knew the man who was first murdered As for Marcel's murder-anyone- everyone in the hotel is open tc suspicion"
 Do you still feel 1t may be linn ited to the hotel?" asked Sue. "Thal surely that can't be true. cant believe that the Lovschiems are in volved. You and MT. Lorn ani Father Robart are self-explanatory The cook is just a fat and rather stupid cook-and anyway. ht wasn't here the night of the ilrsI murder. Marianne-that's absurd Mrs. Byng-eQually absurd. And didn't do it.
 eAnd there's no one else.-No. 1 cant be limited to us in the hotel After all. someone could easily hav' lgot into the place this afternoon sno reason at all why he shouldn't khave walked boldly in. either iron Tor kitchen entrance, shot Marcel and escaped without being seen." tsHer voice trembled over Marcel nnd experienced strange littl. las{na tof tendefnesa toward her.