"No, Shirley, stay where you are--I want you here with me!"
Murgatroyd placed a chair for the girl beside that of Mrs. Challoner; he
took a seat opposite.
"Mrs. Challoner," he began in a voice that was even more gentle than at
any time before, "believe me that I've no desire to give you trouble
unnecessarily."
"Please don't apologise," Mrs. Challoner repeated holding fast to
Shirley, as though she pinned her faith to that young woman.
"I shall begin at the beginning, Mrs. Challoner," he said. "I suppose,
of course, that you have had the report that your husband has been found
in Chicago?"
"What! Found?" To the great surprise of the prosecutor no emotions other
than joy and relief were visible on the woman's face.
"Laurie has been found!" she went on. "Thank heaven! I'm so glad--now he
must come back home."
"I had thought," said the prosecutor, in even, business-like tones,
"that the news of his arrest would--would have been an unpleasant shock
to you ... I find that the shock is yet to come."
Quick as a flash Miriam Challoner read the truth in the man's face.
"You don't mean--you can't mean that----"
Murgatroyd bowed.
"I have already told Miss Bloodgood that the report was a mistake. Your
husband was not arrested in Chicago."
At that Mrs. Challoner really broke down. She sobbed silently on the
shoulder of the girl beside her. "Oh, Laurie, Laurie, then you're not
coming home!" she cried. "Most three weeks, Shirley, he's been away!"
Murgatroyd waited patiently until she had recovered, never once
forgetting that he was the servant of the people. His was a double duty.
He must apprehend the guilty, and so do it as to save the community
great expense. Of late murders had been expensive luxuries. Murgatroyd
knew that in this case he would be hampered by lack of funds.
"Mrs. Challoner," he said with simple directness, "the whole substance
of the matter is this: I believe--we believe that Mr. Challoner has not
left the East, and that he may still be here in town--in this house
even." He had reseated himself, but suddenly rose again.
"In this house!" Miriam returned with a faint smile. "I wish he were,
indeed I do wish he were----"
"Mrs. Challoner," the prosecutor went on, ignoring her words, "it is
necessary that my men, now while I am here, while you are here, should
search these premises--this house----"
Shirley Bloodgood shook herself from the grasp of Miriam; she stood
erect, her slender form tense.
"This is an imposition; it is preposterous, Mr. Murgatroyd, that you
should doubt her word!"
Murgatroyd was unmoved.
"It is necessary for my men to search this house," he repeated; and not
unwisely, for he well knew that there is something that brings
men--good, bad and indifferent men--back to their homes.
But Shirley was adamant.
"No, I won't allow it!" she exclaimed indignantly.
Mrs. Challoner placed a restraining hand on the girl, for Miriam
Challoner once more held a strong grip upon herself.
"Search the house if you wish, Mr. Murgatroyd," she consented; "if you
find my husband, no one will be more pleased than I."
Murgatroyd left the room and returned almost instantly followed by two
men--Mixley and McGrath. It was one of these men a short while before
who had stolen in through the French window and tampered with the
letters on the desk.
"You will search here first," he ordered; and turning to the women:
"Would you prefer to go or stay?"
"We'll go, of course," Shirley flung at him as she drew Miriam toward
the door.
"Of course not, we shall stay," said Miriam, freeing herself from the
girl.
The men passed in unceremoniously and proceeded to search the
room--places that even Miriam had forgotten about; they overlooked
nothing, but silently, quietly in their business-like way turned
everything topsy-turvy, replacing things, in the end, as they found
them. Presently they turned to their chief, and said:--
"It's all right, Prosecutor."
"Cover the rest of the house," again ordered Murgatroyd.
They grinned sheepishly.
"That's all done," they answered.
"What?"
McGrath nodded.
"Yes, while you were talking in here," he said, "we showed our shields
and they showed us through." He drew near and whispered: "We thought it
best to take 'em by surprise; they hadn't no time to fix things, don't
you see?"
"Nothing found?" asked Murgatroyd.