Browning chief., 1946-12-20

Megan caught her breath and felt
as tnough every drop of blood in her
pooy had CONCEALED about her heart.
her eyes were wide and frightened,
and She was suddenly conscious that
Bob Reynolds was watching her mar
roWly, an odd light in his eyes.
OF course, Annie, I'll see her."
she made herself say swiftly, then
steadylng her voice with an effort.
II you'll excuse me-"
But Bob Reynolds said casually,
with a look in his eyes that was not
at all casual, "Why not see her in
here, Miss MacTavish?"
Megan looked sharply at him and
SAID instantly, "But why? It's no
doubt personal matter-I mean it
can't possibly have any connection
r. But beneath the look in his
eyes her voice broke.
vi course not," Bob agreed ami
ably, but still with that wary look
In his eyes. "But just the same"
And behind Annie, Megan saw,
with feeling of shock, Martha Fal-
ION, short, stocky, commonplace
looking. Her neat dark percale
dress and the smoothness of her
halr that was streaked with gray
only emphasized the look of barely
restrained terror in her eyes; just
as the lnexpert daubs of rouge and
the powder that was not quite
smooth only emphasized the pallor
OF her drawn face.
She came into the room and Annie
faded out of the doorway. But Me-
gan knew subconsciously that Annie
had only slipped back a little into
the shadows and that she was lis
tenlng with almost visibly distended
ears.
Miss Martha nodded to Megan
and addressed herself to Bob, after
giving Laurence steady, straight
look.
You're the detective-fellow?" she
asked Bob curtly.
Yes, Miss Fallon-my names
Reynolds" answered Bob.
Martha nodded and said, "Well,
my names not Fallon. I'm Tom
Fallon's sister-in-law, not his sister.
MY names Evans-Martha Evans"
Laurence unobtrusively turned
chalr towards her and she nodded
ner thanks and sank into it with
movement that was almost of col
lapse, as though her knees were
shaking violently, and she was very
glad of the support the chair gave
her.
$50 you found it," she said when
she had drawn a deep hard breath
and Megan, sick with pity and be-
wllderment, saw the work-rough-
ened hands gripped so tightly to-
gether that the knuckles were small
white mounds.
m;se Bob rsanl,g said gently Found what,
She looked up at him so sharply
that the sunlight fell harshly on the
round lenses of her old-fashioned
spectacles and she made a sound
that was half a snort, half sniff
of contempt.
1.-The knife, of course" she an
swered curtly.
Bob made a short, swiftly con-
troued movement, but his face was
guarded, SO that only if you had
been watching him closely could
you have noticed that involuntary
start Of surprise.
Suppose you tell us about the
knife, Miss Evans" Bob said gently.
Miss Martha nodded. "What else
do you think came here for?" she
shifted, and abruptly she added,
Only the Stevenson woman wasn't
killed with that knife, young man."
"No?" asked Bob very swiftly,
very politely, almost as though his
interest had been too casual to make
the statement of any importance.
mol" the word came explosively.
Then why was it necessary to
hide it tso-er-melodramatically?"
wondered Bob aloud.
Miss Martha breathed deeply and
with difficulty.
Because" she told him-and Me.
gan's eyes were thick with tears for
the stark agony that shone so clear
ly in the tired, faded eyes behind
those old-fashioned spectacles-"be-
cause-my sister is "a mental
case," she managed at last.
Bob waited.
Laurence was very still, watching
Miss Martha, his arms folded across
his chest, leaning against the big
old-fashioned rolltop desk where
Megan kept her accounts and books.
Megan was on the very edge Of
her chair, her body tense and still,
almost rigid, as she watched Miss
Martha; and so deep, so intense
was her pity and her sympathy that
her own body felt some of the suf-
fering that stood forth so starkly in
Miss Martha's tired eyes.
"You mean," said Bob, after mo-
ment designed to give Miss Martha
a respite so that she could breathe
again, that your sister was not &C.
countable for her actions"
II mean, young man, that my SIS
ter-had periods of lucidity," she
said harshly. But Tom, her hus-
hand didn't know that fhosa par;,d.