Part 11 (1/2)
”Then he wasn't caught in Chicago!” s.h.i.+rley exclaimed almost jubilantly; and then touching him on the arm a bit familiarly, she added:--
”Billy, you don't really believe that Laurie murdered Colonel Hargraves?”
Murgatroyd laughed a short laugh.
”If I didn't know you, s.h.i.+rley, I should imagine you were sparring for time.... If I didn't know you I wouldn't answer your questions. As it is, I must answer them in the same way that I would do anything you asked of me--short of crime.”
”If you put it that way,” returned s.h.i.+rley, drawing away from him, her tone growing cold, ”you needn't answer me at all.”
Murgatroyd did not heed her.
”I don't know,” he went on evasively, ”whether Challoner murdered Hargraves or not.”
”You don't know ...”
”No,” returned the prosecutor; ”so far the evidence is purely circ.u.mstantial.”
s.h.i.+rley Bloodgood had been hanging on his words. She drew a long breath and echoed excitedly: ”Circ.u.mstantial--” There was a flicker of a smile on her face as she added:--
”Then the newspapers were wrong when they said it was a certainty!...”
Murgatroyd held up his hand and went on to explain:--
”What I tell you is confidential--you understand?”
”Yes, yes,” she said impatiently; ”but tell me about it--the real facts--that is, if you can.”
”There's no reason why I shouldn't, I suppose,” said the prosecutor of the pleas. ”The real facts as we have them ... as we have them, mind, are simple. Challoner quarrelled with Colonel Hargraves----”
”What about?” asked s.h.i.+rley impulsively.
Murgatroyd flushed.
”That makes no difference,” he answered with some confusion; ”the point is that they were enemies. It was a quarrel in which the pa.s.sions of each were roused to the utmost. To make a long story short, Colonel Hargraves won ten thousand dollars at Gravesend--the men met in Cradlebaugh's--another quarrel followed----”
”And then?”
”Then,” went on the prosecutor, ”they parted. That was all--save at two o'clock next morning Hargraves was found in the street back of Cradlebaugh's with a bullet through his heart.”
s.h.i.+rley was quivering with suppressed excitement; nevertheless, she managed to ask:--
”What does that prove?”
”Nothing--only a man named Pemmican of Cradlebaugh's witnessed both quarrels--and Challoner has run away. Looks bad for Challoner, I should say.”
”But,” persisted s.h.i.+rley, ”surely that evidence is not conclusive....”
”One moment, please,” went on the prosecutor calmly; ”Hargraves had the ten thousand dollars in cash with him, and----”
”That is conclusive,” she commented. ”Surely you don't think Lawrence would steal?”