XXXII
She was still in the living-room when she came to her senses. SophieCarey was gone; the Ragans were also gone. Clancy guessed that they wereattending to their mistress. As for herself, she felt the need of noattention. For her first conscious thought was that the cloud that hadhung over her so steadily for the past week, which had descended so lowthat its foggy breath had chilled her heart, was forever lifted.
She was not selfish--merely human. Not to have drawn in her breath in agreat sigh of relief would have indicated that Clancy Deane was tooangelic for this world. And she was not; she was better than an angelbecause she was warmly human.
And so her first thought was of herself. But her second was of the womanup-stairs--the woman who had shown her, in so brief a time, so manykindnesses, and who now lay stricken. What a dreadful culmination to alife of humiliation! She closed her eyes a moment, as though to shut outthe horror of it all.
When she opened them, it was to look gravely at the two men in the room.Randall she looked at first; her eyes swept him coolly, but she was notcool. She was fighting against something that she did not wish to showupon her countenance. When she thought that it was under control, shetransferred her grave glance to Vandervent.
As on that day last week when she had fainted in his office he held aglass of water in his hand. Also, his hand shook, and the water sloppedover the rim of the tumbler.
She was sitting in a chair. She wondered which one of these two men hadcarried her there. She wanted to know at once. And so, because she was awoman, she set herself to find out.
"Mrs. Carey--she's--all right?"
She addressed the question to both. And it was Randall who replied.
"I think so--I hope so. I helped Mrs. Ragan carry her up-stairs, whileRagan waited--outside."
Clancy shuddered. She knew why Ragan waited outside, and over what hekept watch. Nevertheless, if Randall had carried Sophie up-stairs,Vandervent must have deposited herself, Clancy Deane, in this chair. Anunimportant matter, perhaps, but--it had been Vandervent who picked herup. She looked at Vandervent.
"I--couldn't meet you at the train," she said.
Vandervent colored.
"I--so I see," he said. That his remark was banal meant nothing toClancy. She was versed enough in the ways of a man with a maid to beglad that Vandervent was not too glib of speech with her.
Vandervent set down the glass. He looked at her.
"If you don't care to talk, Miss Deane----"
"I do," said Clancy.
Vandervent glanced toward the window.
"Then----"
"He killed Morris Beiner," said Clancy. Vandervent started. "Heconfessed," said Clancy, "and then----"
There was no need to finish. Vandervent nodded. Carey had done the onlypossible thing.
"But you--how does it happen you're here?"
Swiftly Clancy told them. Silently they listened, although she couldtell, by his expression, that, time and again, Vandervent wanted toburst into speech, that only the fact that Carey lay dead in the snowoutside prevented him from characterizing the actions of the man who hadkilled Morris Beiner.
"And Garland?" he asked finally.
Clancy shrugged.
"I don't know. He left, as I've told you."
Vandervent's jaws set tightly. Then they parted as he spoke.
"He'll explain it all. He'll be caught," he said.
"Mr.--Mr. Carey said that it was all written down. It's up-stairs," saidClancy.
Vandervent nodded.
"That simplifies it." He rose and walked uncertainly across the room."If we could catch Garland right away and--shut his mouth----"
Clancy knew what he meant. He was thinking of how to protect her frompossible scandal.
"How did you happen to know that I was here?" asked Clancy. After all,murder was murder and death was death. But love was life, and Clancy wasin love. The most insignificant actions of a loved one are of moreimportance, in the first flush of love's discovery, than the fall ofempires.
"We came upon the horse, down by the station. I--I guessed that it mustbe yours." Vandervent colored. So did Clancy. He could not have moreclearly confessed that he feared for her; and people frequently lovethose for whom they are fearful.
"So Randall and I-- We met in the train----
"Mrs. Carey 'phoned me this afternoon. She--said that she wasfrightened," said Randall.
"I see," said Clancy. Despite herself, she could not keep her tone frombeing dry. How quickly, and how easily, Randall had returned to SophieCarey! Safety first! It was his motto, undoubtedly. And now, of course,that Mrs. Carey was a widow-- Months from now, Clancy would find thather attitude toward Randall was slightly acidulous. She'd always befriendly, but with reservations. And as for Sophie Carey, she'd come tothe final conclusion that she didn't really want Sophie as her dearestand closest friend. But just now she put from her, ashamed, the slightfeeling of contempt that she had for Randall. After all, there aredegrees in love. Some men will pay a woman's bills but refuse to die forher. Others would cheerfully die for her rather than pay her bills.Randall would never feel any ecstasy of devotion. He would love with hishead more than with his heart. He was well out of her scheme of things.
"So," continued Vandervent, "inasmuch as there was no one around, wetook the horse and sleigh. I turned in at this drive, intending to leaveRandall. We saw a man run across the snow, stop--we heard the shot. Weran to him. We couldn't help him. It--it was too late. We came into thehouse and sent Ragan out to watch the--to watch him. You and Mrs. Careyhad fainted. I ought to telephone the coroner," he said abruptly. Yet hemade no move toward the telephone. "You see," he went on, "what you'vetold me about Garland--if we could find him----"
He stopped short; there were steps upon the veranda outside; and thenthe bell rang. Vandervent moved swiftly from the room. Clancy heard himexclaim in amazement. A moment later, she understood, for Spoffordentered the room, and by the wrist he dragged after him Garland.
"Got one of 'em," he announced triumphantly. "Now--the other guy.Where's Carey?" he demanded.
"Dead," said Vandervent crisply.
Spofford's mouth opened. He dropped into a chair, loosing his grasp onGarland.
"Beat me to it!" he said bitterly. "Had him dead to rights--came up hereall alone." He looked up surlily. "Listen here, Mr. Vandervent; I ranthis case down all by myself. You're here, and I suppose you'll grab allthe glory; but I wanta tell you that I'm entitled to my share." His gazewas truculent now.
"You may have it," said Vandervent quietly.
"Eh? I don't get you," said Spofford. "Where's the string tied to it?"
"Perhaps not any--perhaps just one," was Vandervent's reply.
"Huh!" Spofford grunted noncommittally. "Where is Carey?"
Vandervent pointed out the window.
"Sent for the coroner?" demanded the plain-clothesman.
"Not--yet," admitted Vandervent.
"Why not?"
Vandervent stared at Garland.
"What's this man to do with it?" he asked.
"Material witness," said Spofford.
"But, if Carey left a written confession, you wouldn't need a witness,"said Vandervent.
"H'm--no," conceded Spofford. "Only--an accessory after the fact--that'swhat this guy is----"
Vandervent turned to Randall.
"Take this man outside--and watch him," he ordered.
Garland's mouth opened in a whine.
"I didn't have a thing to do with it," he said. "It's a frame-up."
"Take him out, Randall," ordered Vandervent. Randall obeyed. Of course,Vandervent was an assistant district-attorney of New York and hisposition, though outside his jurisdiction now, was an important one.Nevertheless, Clancy knew that it was the man whom Randall obeyed, notthe official. It gave her added proof that her judgment of the two menhad been correct. Clancy loved with her head, too, though not so much aswith her heart.
"Spofford," said Vandervent. "I've promised you
all the glory--on onecondition. Now tell me how you discovered that Carey was the murderer."
Spofford hesitated for a moment.
"Well, first I got the idea that Miss Deane was the one. When I foundthat you and Judge Walbrough was interested in protectin' her, I beganto wonder. I rounded up all the tenants in the Heberworth Building. Andone of them said he had a vague recollection of having seen a man enterBeiner's office sometime after five o'clock, last Tuesday. He describedthe man pretty well. I looked over the tenants. I found that Careylooked like the man. I got the other tenant to look at Carey. Hecouldn't swear to him, but thought he was the one.
"Now Carey'd been skirting the edges of the law for some time. There wasa pretty little scandal brewing about the fake theatrical agency Careywas running. One or two of the girls that had been in that office hadbeen talking. Find the woman! That's my motto when a man's been killed.I looked up those girls! One of them told me of another girl. I went tosee her. She was an old sweetie of Beiner's. Carey had taken her away.It looked like something, eh? She admitted Carey had quarreled withBeiner over her. Name of Henty. Promised to keep her out of it if Icould." He drew a long breath.
"That didn't make the man a murderer, but it might tie him up withBeiner. Somehow, I ain't entirely satisfied with the way that Garlandtalks. He's pretty ready to identify Miss Deane, but still-- I keep myeye on Garland. I watch him pretty closely. Monday, I think I'll haveanother talk with Miss Deane. I find out from the place she works thatshe's down at Carey's house." He glanced at Clancy. "You'll excuse me,Miss Deane, if I didn't tip all my mitt to you the other day." Heresumed his story. "I go down to Carey's. Just as I get there, Garlandcomes out. He don't see me, but I see him all right. A few minutes laterout comes Carey and a lady that I take to be his wife. Well, I don'tworry about them then. They're too well known to get very far away.
"But Garland was in the house with them. Naturally, I began to do awhole lot of thinkin'. I ring the bell, on the chance that Miss Deane isinside. I have a talk with her, and tell her that I'm convinced shedon't have anything to do with the murder. I am, all right. I have ahunch that maybe she can tell me something if she wants, but I figure Ican wait.
"I leave her and go up to the Heberworth Building. Garland ain'treported for work. I go up-stairs. I do some quick thinkin'. If I letany one else in on this, I lose my chance." He glared defiantly atVandervent. "It's a big chance," he exclaimed. "I'm gettin' on. I'llnever be a day younger than I am to-day. I don't look forward toexistin' on a measly pension. I want some jack. And the only way I canget it is by startin' a detective agency. And before I can do that, withany chance of makin' a clean-up, I got to pull somethin' spectacular.
"Well, you never win a bet without riskin' some money. I'm standin' inthe hall outside Carey's office. Nobody's lookin'. I ain't been pinchin'guys all my life without pickin' up a trick or two. It takes me tenseconds to open that door and close it behind me.
"It may put me in the pen, burglarizin' Carey's office, but--it may puthim in the chair. So I don't delay. He sure was flooey in the dome--thisguy Carey. Booze has certainly wrecked his common sense. For I findpapers around that show that him and Beiner been tied up in severallittle deals. I even find letters from Beiner threatenin' Carey unlesshe comes through with some coin. Motive, eh? I'll say so." He chuckledcomplacently. "But I find more than that. I find a bunch of keys. Andone of them unlocks the door to Beiner's office. I've got opportunitynow--motive and opportunity. Also a witness who _thinks_ he saw Carey atthe door of Beiner's office.
"It ain't everything, but--I got to Garland's house. I learn from hislandlady that Garland's packed a bag, paid his rent and skipped. Thatwas yesterday. To-day I did a bit of scoutin' around and find out thatthe Careys own a country place up here. Of course, that don't provethey've gone there in the middle of a winter like this, but I telephonetheir house. A servant answers. I ask for Mr. Carey. The servant saysthat he's out. I hang up the 'phone. I knew that Carey's up there. And Ijust decide to come up and get him. In the road outside I meetGarland--and grab him."
"Have you a warrant?" asked Vandervent.
"I'll say I have," grinned Spofford. "But it ain't no use. He beat me toit." He looked ghoulishly regretful that he didn't have a live prisonerinstead of a dead man. And not regretful that death had occurred, butthat it had interfered with his plans. "And now--that little condition?"he asked.
"Carey has confessed," said Vandervent. "A written confession. Supposethat I hand you that confession?"
"Well?" Spofford didn't understand.
"Garland, I take it, has committed blackmail."
"_And_ been accessory after the fact, Mr. Vandervent," said Spofford.
Vandervent nodded.
"Of course. Only, if Garland testifies, he may mention Miss Deane. Inwhich case I shall feel compelled to maintain that it was I who tracedthe murderer, who won from him his confession."
"You can't prove it," blustered Spofford.
"Think not?" Vandervent smiled.
Spofford's forehead wrinkled in thought. "The idea, of course, is thatyou want Miss Deane's name left completely out of this affair," he said.
"You grasp it completely," smiled Vandervent.
"Well, worse guys than Garland are takin' the air when they feel likeit," said Spofford.
"He's a scoundrel," said Vandervent, "but if punishing him meanssmirching Miss Deane's name, he'd better go free."
Spofford rose to his feet.
"You'd better 'phone the coroner," he said.
Vandervent shook his head.
"You're the genius who discovered the murderer. You do the telephoning,Spofford."
Spofford grinned.
"Much obliged, Mr. Vandervent. There won't be a yip outa me." He bowedtoward Clancy. "It ain't hard for me to agree to something that saves alady like you from bein' annoyed, Miss Deane. I may have sounded nasty,but it means something to me--this advertisin' I'll get."
He left the room before Clancy could answer. But she spoke toVandervent.
"Have you the right to let a man like Garland go free?" she asked.
"Certainly not," he replied. "But there are occasions when one considersthe greater good."
It was no time for Clancy to be hypersensitive about Vandervent's honor.He'd have been something less than a man if he had not made his bargainwith Spofford. Yet, to Clancy, it seemed that he had done the mostwonderful thing in the world.
There are women who would place a meticulous point of honor above love,but Clancy Deane had never been one of those bloodless persons intendedfor the cloister. Perhaps her eyes showed her gratitude. For Vanderventstepped nearer.
But the speech that Clancy believed trembled on the tip of his tonguewas not uttered then. For Spofford reentered the room.
"I've got the coroner, Mr. Vandervent. He'll be over in five minutes."
"What about Garland?" demanded Vandervent.
"There's a train for New York at midnight. I took the cuffs off him, andhe'll be on that train. He'll keep his mouth shut. Leastwise, if he doestalk, no one'll believe him. He's a hop-head, that guy. But not so fargone but that he may not come back. The fear of God is in him to-night,sir. Maybe he'll straighten up." He shuffled his feet. "Please, sir, Ithink Miss Deane ought to be gettin' out of sight. The coroner'll askquestions, and the fewer lies need be told him----"
"Mrs. Carey? May she talk?" asked Vandervent.
Spofford shook his head.
"We'll keep him away from her until to-morrow. By that time, I'll haveher coached--Miss Deane won't be in it, sir."
"Fair enough," said Vandervent.
Spofford moved toward the door. But, suddenly, Clancy didn't wish to bealone with Vandervent. She wanted time, as a woman always does. And so,because Vandervent must remain and see the coroner, Clancy drove home tothe anxious Mrs. Walbrough alone. Physically alone, but in spiritaccompanied by the roseate dreams of youth.