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I climbed it, I said, and took the glass. To your dark and lovely eyes, and the figure I
havent seenyet.
She stood by and watched me drink a third of it. Then she lit a cigarette with a hand that
was as steady as the cliff we were talking about, took it from her red, sensual mouth and gave
it to me.
Our fingers touched. Her skin felt feverish.
Is your sister here? I asked, and set the whisky carefully on the coffee table at my side.
She inspected her thumb again thoughtfully, then looked at me out of the corners of her
eyes.
Janets dead. She died two years ago, she said.
Ive made a lot of discoveries since you told me that, I said. I know the girl your mother
kept a prisoner in the sanatorium for something like two years is your sister, Janet. Shall I tell
you just how much I do know?
She made a little grimace and sat down.
You can if you want to, she said.
Some of it is guess-work. Perhaps youll help me as I go along? I said, settling farther
down in the chair. Janet was your fathers favourite. Both you and your mother knew he was
going to leave her the bulk of his money. Janet fell in love with Sherrill, who also knew she
was coming into the money. Sherrill was quite a dashing type, and dashing types appeal to
you. You and he had an affair on the side, but Janet found out and broke the engagement.
There was a quarrel between you two. One of you grabbed a shot-gun. Your father came in at
the wrong moment. Did you shoot him or was it Janet?
She lit a cigarette, dropped the match into an ashtray before saying, Does it matter? I did
if you must know.
There was a nurse staying in the house at the time: Anona Freedlander. Why was she
there?
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My mother wasnt quite right in the head, she said casually. She didnt think I was,
either. She persuaded father I wanted looking after, and she sent Nurse Freedlander to spy on
me.
Nurse Freedlander wanted to call the police when you shot your father?
She nodded and smiled. The smile didnt reach the expressionless, coal-black eyes.
Mother said they would put me away in a home if it came out I had shot him. Nurse
Freedlander made herself a nuisance. Mother got her back to the sanatorium and locked her
up. It was the only way to keep her quiet. Then Janet insisted on me being locked up, too, and
mother had to agree. She sent me here. This is her house. Janet thought I was in the
sanatorium. She found out I wasnt, but she didnt know where I was. I think thats why she
wrote to you. She was going to ask you to find me. Then Nurse Freedlander had a heart attack
and died. This was too good a chance to miss. Mother and Douglas carried her body to
Crestways. Mother told Janet I wanted to see her, and she went over to the sanatorium. She
was locked up in Nurse Freedlanders room, and Nurse Freedlander was put in Janets bed. It
was quite a bright idea, wasnt it? I called Dr. Bewley who lived near by. It didnt occur to
him that the dead woman wasnt Janet, and he signed the death certificate. It was easy after
that. The Trustees didnt suspect anything, and I came into all the money. She leaned
forward to tap cigarette-ash into the ashtray, went on in the same flat, disinterested voice, It
was true what I told you about Douglas. The little rat turned on me and tried to blackmail me
and made me buy the Dream Skip. Janets maid blackmailed me, too. She knew Janet hadnt
died. Then you came along. I thought if I told you some of the story it might scare Douglas
off, but it didnt. He wanted to kill you, but I wouldnt let him. It was my idea you should go
to the sanatorium. I didnt think you would get Janet away. As soon as I found out where she
was I got Sherrills men to bring her here.
Was it your idea to shoot Nurse Freedlanders father?
She made a little grimace of disgust.
What else could I do? If he told you she had a bad heart I knew you would guess what had
happened. I got in a panic. I thought if we could silence him and get her papers from the
police we might be able to carry on. But it does seem rather hopeless.
Janets here then?
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She shrugged.
Yes, shes here.
And youre trying to make up your mind what to do with her?
Yes.
Any ideas?
Perhaps.
I finished my drink. I needed it.
You shot Sherrill, didnt you, and set fire to the ship?
You have found out a lot.
Didnt you?
Oh, yes. I knew he would let me down if the police caught him. He was a nuisance,
anyway. It was quite fun to set fire to the ship. Ive always hated it. Did it burn well?
I said it burned very well.
We sat for some moments looking at each other.
Im wondering about you, she said suddenly. Couldnt we team up together? It seems so
senseless to give all that money to a lot of stuffy old scientists. There must be nearly two
million left.
How should we team up?
She bit her thumb while she thought about how we should team up.
You see, shes my sister. I cant keep her here for long. If they find out shes alive I shall
lose the money. It would be better if she died.
I didnt say anything to that.
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Ive been in there three or four times with a gun, she said, after a long pause. But every
time I start to pull the trigger something stops me. She stared at me, said, I would give you
half the money.
I stubbed out my cigarette.
Are you suggesting I should do it?
This time the meaningless smile did reach her eyes.
Think what you could do with all that money.
Im thinking, but I havent got it yet.
Oh, Id give it to you. Ill give you a cheque now.
You could always stop the cheque when I had done it, couldnt you? You could shoot me
as you shot Sherrill, I said, and gave her one of my dumb looks.
When I say a thing I mean it, and when I make a promise I keep it, she said patiently.
And besides, you can have me, too.
Can I? I tried not to sound as unenthusiastic as I felt. Thats fine. I stood up. Where is
she?
She stared at me; her face still expressionless, but far up on her left cheek a nerve began to
jump.
Are you going to do it?
I dont see why not. Give me the gun and tell me where she is.
Dont you want me to write the cheque first?
I shook my head.
I trust you, I said, and hoped I wasnt over-working the dumb look.
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She pointed to a door opposite the casement windows at the far end of the room.
Shes in there.
I stood up.
Then give me the gun. It must be made to look like suicide.
She nodded.
Yes; I thought of that. Youyou wont hurt her?
There was a blank look in her eyes now. Her mind seemed to have wandered off into space.
The gun, I said, and snapped my fingers at her.
Oh, yes. She shivered, frowned, looked vaguely around the room. I had it somewhere.