XXI + 

Aaronia Haldorn + 

Mary Nunez arrived at half-past seven the next morning. Mickey Linehan drove Mrs.┬аHerman to Quesada, leaving her there, returning with MacMan and a load of groceries. + 

MacMan was a square-built, stiff-backed ex-soldier. Ten years of the island had baked his tight-mouthed, solid-jawed, grim face a dark oak. He was the perfect soldier: he went where you sent him, stayed where you put him, and had no ideas of his own to keep him from doing exactly what you told him. + 

He gave me the druggistтАЩs package. I took ten grains of morphine up to Gabrielle. She was eating breakfast in bed. Her eyes were watery, her face damp and grayish. When she saw the bindles in my hand she pushed her tray aside and held her hands out eagerly, wiggling her shoulders. + 

тАЬCome back in five minutes?тАЭ she asked. + 

тАЬYou can take your jolt in front of me. I wonтАЩt blush.тАЭ + 

тАЬBut I would,тАЭ she said, and did. + 

I went out, shut the door, and leaned against it, hearing the crackle of paper and the clink of a spoon on the water-glass. Presently she called: + 

тАЬAll right.тАЭ + 

I went in again. A crumpled ball of white paper in the tray was all that remained of one bindle. The others werenтАЩt in sight. She was leaning back against her pillows, eyes half closed, as comfortable as a cat full of goldfish. She smiled lazily at me and said: + 

тАЬYouтАЩre a dear. Know what IтАЩd like to do today? Take some lunch and go out on the waterтБатАФspend the whole day floating in the sun.тАЭ + 

тАЬThat ought to be good for you. Take either Linehan or MacMan with you. YouтАЩre not to go out alone.тАЭ + 

тАЬWhat are you going to do?тАЭ + 

тАЬRide up to Quesada, over to the county seat, maybe as far as the city.тАЭ + 

тАЬMaynтАЩt I go with you?тАЭ + 

I shook my head, saying: тАЬIтАЩve got work to do, and youтАЩre supposed to be resting.тАЭ + 

She said, тАЬOh,тАЭ and reached for her coffee. I turned to the door. тАЬThe rest of the morphine.тАЭ She spoke over the edge of her cup. тАЬYouтАЩve put it in a safe place, where nobody will find it?тАЭ + 

тАЬYeah,тАЭ I said, grinning at her, patting my coat-pocket. + 

In Quesada I spent half an hour talking to Rolly and reading the San Francisco papers. They were beginning to poke at Andrews with hints and questions that stopped just short of libel. That was so much to the good. The deputy sheriff hadnтАЩt anything to tell me. + 

I went over to the county seat. Vernon was in court. Twenty minutes of the sheriffтАЩs conversation didnтАЩt add anything to my education. I called up the agency and talked to the Old Man. He said Hubert Collinson, our client, had expressed some surprise at our continuing the operation, having supposed that WhiddenтАЩs death had cleared up the mystery of his sonтАЩs murder. + 

тАЬTell him it didnтАЩt,тАЭ I said. тАЬEricтАЩs murder was tied up with GabrielleтАЩs troubles, and we canтАЩt get to the bottom of one except through the other. ItтАЩll probably take another week. CollinsonтАЩs all right,тАЭ I assured the Old Man. тАЬHeтАЩll stand for it when itтАЩs explained to him.тАЭ + 

The Old Man said, тАЬI certainly hope so,тАЭ rather coldly, not enthusiastic over having five operatives at work on a job that the supposed client might not want to pay for. + 

I drove up to San Francisco, had dinner at the St.┬аGermain, stopped at my rooms to collect another suit and a bagful of clean shirts and the like, and got back to the house in the cove a little after midnight. MacMan came out of the darkness while I was tucking the carтБатАФwe were still using FitzstephanтАЩsтБатАФunder the shed. He said nothing had happened in my absence. We went into the house together. Mickey was in the kitchen, yawning and mixing himself a drink before relieving MacMan on sentry duty. + 

тАЬMrs.┬аCollinson gone to bed?тАЭ I asked. + 

тАЬHer lightтАЩs still on. SheтАЩs been in her room all day.тАЭ + 

MacMan and I had a drink with Mickey and then went upstairs. I knocked at the girlтАЩs door. + 

тАЬWho is it?тАЭ she asked. I told her. She said: тАЬYes?тАЭ + 

тАЬNo breakfast in the morning.тАЭ + 

тАЬReally?тАЭ Then, as if it were something she had almost forgotten: тАЬOh, IтАЩve decided not to put you to all the trouble of curing me.тАЭ She opened the door and stood in the opening, smiling too pleasantly at me, a finger holding her place in a book. тАЬDid you have a nice ride?тАЭ + 

тАЬAll right,тАЭ I said, taking the rest of the morphine from my pocket and holding it out to her. тАЬThereтАЩs no use of my carrying this around.тАЭ + 

She didnтАЩt take it. She laughed in my face and said: + 

тАЬYou are a brute, arenтАЩt you?тАЭ + 

тАЬWell, itтАЩs your cure, not mine.тАЭ I put the stuff back in my pocket. тАЬIf youтБатАФтАЭ I broke off to listen. A board had creaked down the hall. Now there was a soft sound, as of a bare foot dragging across the floor. + 

тАЬThatтАЩs Mary watching over me,тАЭ Gabrielle whispered gaily. тАЬShe made a bed in the attic and refused to go home. She doesnтАЩt think IтАЩm safe with you and your friends. She warned me against you, said you wereтБатАФwhat was it?тБатАФoh, yesтБатАФwolves. Are you?тАЭ + 

тАЬPractically. DonтАЩt forgetтБатАФno breakfast in the morning.тАЭ + 

The following afternoon I gave her the first dose of Vic DallasтАЩs mixture, and three more at two-hour intervals. She spent that day in her room. That was Saturday. + 

On Sunday she had ten grains of morphine and was in high spirits all day, considering herself as good as cured already. + 

On Monday she had the remainder of VicтАЩs concoction, and the day was pretty much like Saturday. Mickey Linehan returned from the county seat with the news that Fitzstephan was conscious, but too weak and too bandaged to have talked if the doctors had let him; that Andrews had been to San Mateo to see Aaronia Haldorn again; and that she had been to the hospital to see Fink, but had been refused permission by the sheriffтАЩs office. + 

Tuesday was a more exciting day. + 

Gabrielle was up and dressed when I carried her orange-juice breakfast in. She was bright-eyed, restless, talkative, and laughed easily and often until I mentionedтБатАФoffhandтБатАФthat she was to have no more morphine. + 

тАЬEver, you mean?тАЭ Her face and voice were panicky. тАЬNo, you donтАЩt mean that?тАЭ + 

тАЬYeah.тАЭ + 

тАЬBut IтАЩll die.тАЭ Tears filled her eyes, ran down her small white face, and she wrung her hands. It was childishly pathetic. I had to remind myself that tears were one of the symptoms of morphine withdrawal. тАЬYou know thatтАЩs not the way. I donтАЩt expect as much as usual. I know IтАЩll get less and less each day. But you canтАЩt stop it like this. YouтАЩre joking. That would kill me.тАЭ She cried some more at the thought of being killed. + 

I made myself laugh as if I were sympathetic but amused. + 

тАЬNonsense,тАЭ I said cheerfully. тАЬThe chief trouble youтАЩre going to have is in being too alive. A couple of days of that, and youтАЩll be all set.тАЭ + 

She bit her lips, finally managed a smile, holding out both hands to me. + 

тАЬIтАЩm going to believe you,тАЭ she said. тАЬI do believe you. IтАЩm going to believe you no matter what you say.тАЭ + 

Her hands were clammy. I squeezed them and said: + 

тАЬThatтАЩll be swell. Now back to bed. IтАЩll look in every now and then, and if you want anything in between, sing out.тАЭ + 

тАЬYouтАЩre not going off today?тАЭ + 

тАЬNo,тАЭ I promised. + 

She stood the gaff pretty well all afternoon. Of course, there wasnтАЩt much heartiness in the way she laughed at herself between attacks when the sneezing and yawning hit her, but the thing was that she tried to laugh. + 

Madison Andrews came between five and half-past. Having seen him drive in, I met him on the porch. The ruddiness of his face had been washed out to a weak orange. + 

тАЬGood evening,тАЭ he said politely. тАЬI wish to see Mrs.┬аCollinson.тАЭ + 

тАЬIтАЩll deliver any message to her,тАЭ I offered. + 

He pulled his white eyebrows down and some of his normal ruddiness came back. + 

тАЬI wish to see her.тАЭ It was a command. + 

тАЬShe doesnтАЩt wish to see you. Is there any message?тАЭ + 

All of his ruddiness was back now. His eyes were hot. I was standing between him and the door. He couldnтАЩt go in while I stood there. For a moment he seemed about to push me out of the way. That didnтАЩt worry me: he was carrying a handicap of twenty pounds and twenty years. + 

He pulled his jaw into his neck and spoke in the voice of authority: + 

тАЬMrs.┬аCollinson must return to San Francisco with me. She cannot stay here. This is a preposterous arrangement.тАЭ + 

тАЬSheтАЩs not going to San Francisco,тАЭ I said. тАЬIf necessary, the district attorney can hold her here as a material witness. Try upsetting that with any of your court orders, and weтАЩll give you something else to worry about. IтАЩm telling you this so youтАЩll know how we stand. WeтАЩll prove that she might be in danger from you. How do we know you havenтАЩt played marbles with the estate? How do we know you donтАЩt mean to take advantage of her present upset condition to shield yourself from trouble over the estate? Why, man, you might even be planning to send her to an insane-asylum so the estate will stay under your control.тАЭ + 

He was sick behind his eyes, though the rest of him stood up well enough under this broadside. When he had got his breath and had swallowed, he demanded: + 

тАЬDoes Gabrielle believe this?тАЭ His face was magenta. + 

тАЬWho said anybody believed it?тАЭ I was trying to be bland. тАЬIтАЩm just telling you what weтАЩll go into court with. YouтАЩre a lawyer. You know thereтАЩs not necessarily any connection between whatтАЩs true and what you go into court withтБатАФor into the newspapers.тАЭ + 

The sickness spread from behind his eyes, pushing the color from his face, the stiffness from his bones; but he held himself tall and he found a level voice. + 

тАЬYou may tell Mrs.┬аCollinson,тАЭ he said, тАЬthat I shall return my letters testamentary to the court this week, with an accounting of the estate, and a request that I be relieved.тАЭ + 

тАЬThatтАЩll be swell,тАЭ I said, but I felt sorry for the old boy shuffling down to his car, climbing slowly into it. + 

I didnтАЩt tell Gabrielle he had been there. + 

She was whining a little now between her yawning and sneezing, and her eyes were running water. Face, body, and hands were damp with sweat. She couldnтАЩt eat. I kept her full of orange juice. Noises and odorsтБатАФno matter how faint, how pleasantтБатАФwere becoming painful to her, and she twitched and jerked continually in her bed. + 

тАЬWill it get much worse than this?тАЭ she asked. + 

тАЬNot much. ThereтАЩll be nothing you canтАЩt stand.тАЭ + 

Mickey Linehan was waiting for me when I got downstairs. + 

тАЬThe spickтАЩs got herself a chive,тАЭ he said pleasantly. + 

тАЬYeah?тАЭ + 

тАЬYeah. ItтАЩs the one IтАЩve been using to shuck lemons to take the stink out of that bargain-counter gin you boughtтБатАФor did you just borrow it, the owner knowing youтАЩd return it because nobody could drink it? ItтАЩs a paring knifeтБатАФfour or five inches of stainless steel bladeтБатАФso you wonтАЩt get rustmarks on your undershirt when she sticks it in your back. I couldnтАЩt find it, and asked her about it, and she didnтАЩt look at me like I was a well-poisoner when she said she didnтАЩt know anything about it, and thatтАЩs the first time she never looked at me that way, so I knew she had it.тАЭ + 

тАЬSmart of you,тАЭ I said. тАЬWell, keep an eye on her. She donтАЩt like us much.тАЭ + 

тАЬIтАЩm to do that?тАЭ Mickey grinned. тАЬMy idea would be for everybody to look out for himself, seeing that youтАЩre the lad she dog-eyes most, and itтАЩs most likely you thatтАЩll get whittled on. WhatтАЩd you ever do to her? You havenтАЩt been dumb enough to fool with a Mex ladyтАЩs affections, have you?тАЭ + 

I didnтАЩt think he was funny, though he may have been. + 

Aaronia Haldorn arrived just before dark, in a Lincoln limousine driven by a Negro who turned the siren loose when he brought the car into the drive. I was in GabrielleтАЩs room when the thing howled. She all but jumped out of bed, utterly terrorized by what must have been an ungodly racket to her too sensitive ears. + 

тАЬWhat was it? What was it?тАЭ she kept crying between rattling teeth, her body shaking the bed. + 

тАЬShтАСhтАСh,тАЭ I soothed her. I was acquiring a pretty fair bedside manner. тАЬJust an automobile horn. Visitors. IтАЩll go down and head them off.тАЭ + 

тАЬYou wonтАЩt let anybody see me?тАЭ she begged. + 

тАЬNo. Be a good girl till I get back.тАЭ + 

Aaronia Haldorn was standing beside the limousine talking to MacMan when I came out. In the dim light, her face was a dusky oval mask between black hat and black fur coatтБатАФbut her luminous eyes were real enough. + 

тАЬHow do you do?тАЭ she said, holding out a hand. Her voice was a thing to make warm waves run up your back. тАЬIтАЩm glad for Mrs.┬аCollinsonтАЩs sake that youтАЩre here. She and I have had excellent proof of your protective ability, both owing our lives to it.тАЭ + 

That was all right, but it had been said before. I made a gesture that was supposed to indicate modest distaste for the subject, and beat her to the first tap with: + 

тАЬIтАЩm sorry she canтАЩt see you. She isnтАЩt well.тАЭ + 

тАЬOh, but I should so like to see her, if only for a moment. DonтАЩt you think it might be good for her?тАЭ + 

I said I was sorry. She seemed to accept that as final, though she said: тАЬI came all the way from the city to see her.тАЭ + 

I tried that opening with: + 

тАЬDidnтАЩt Mr.┬аAndrews tell youтБатАКтБатАжтАК?тАЭ letting it ravel out. + 

She didnтАЩt say whether he had. She turned and began walking slowly across the grass. There was nothing for me to do but walk along beside her. Full darkness was only a few minutes away. Presently, when we had gone thirty or forty feet from the car, she said: + 

тАЬMr.┬аAndrews thinks you suspect him.тАЭ + 

тАЬHeтАЩs right.тАЭ + 

тАЬOf what do you suspect him?тАЭ + 

тАЬJuggling the estate. Mind, I donтАЩt know, but I do suspect him.тАЭ + 

тАЬReally?тАЭ + 

тАЬReally,тАЭ I said; тАЬand not of anything else.тАЭ + 

тАЬOh, I should suppose that was quite enough.тАЭ + 

тАЬItтАЩs enough for me. I didnтАЩt think it was enough for you.тАЭ + 

тАЬI beg your pardon?тАЭ + 

I didnтАЩt like the ground I was on with this woman. I was afraid of her. I piled up what facts I had, put some guesses on them, and took a jump from the top of the heap into space: + 

тАЬWhen you got out of prison, you sent for Andrews, pumped him for all he knew, and then, when you learned he was playing with the girlтАЩs pennies, you saw what looked to you like a chance to confuse things by throwing suspicion on him. The old boyтАЩs woman-crazy: heтАЩd be duck-soup for a woman like you. I donтАЩt know what youтАЩre planning to do with him, but youтАЩve got him started, and have got the papers started after him. I take it you gave them the tip-off on his high financing? ItтАЩs no good, Mrs.┬аHaldorn. Chuck it. It wonтАЩt work. You can stir him up, all right, and make him do something criminal, get him into a swell jam: heтАЩs desperate enough now that heтАЩs being poked at. But whatever he does now wonтАЩt hide what somebody else did in the past. HeтАЩs promised to get the estate in order and hand it over. Let him alone. It wonтАЩt work.тАЭ + 

She didnтАЩt say anything while we took another dozen steps. A path came under our feet. I said: + 

тАЬThis is the path that runs up the cliff, the one Eric Collinson was pushed from. Did you know him?тАЭ + 

She drew in her breath sharply, with almost a sob in her throat, but her voice was steady, quiet and musical, when she replied: + 

тАЬYou know I did. Why should you ask?тАЭ + 

тАЬDetectives like questions they already know the answers to. Why did you come down here, Mrs.┬аHaldorn?тАЭ + 

тАЬIs that another whose answer you know?тАЭ + 

тАЬI know you came for one or both of two reasons.тАЭ + 

тАЬYes?тАЭ + 

тАЬFirst, to learn how close we were to our riddleтАЩs answer. Right?тАЭ + 

тАЬIтАЩve my share of curiosity, naturally,тАЭ she confessed. + 

тАЬI donтАЩt mind making that much of your trip a success. I know the answer.тАЭ + 

She stopped in the path, facing me, her eyes phosphorescent in the deep twilight. She put a hand on my shoulder: she was taller than I. The other hand was in her coat-pocket. She put her face nearer mine. She spoke very slowly, as if taking great pains to be understood: + 

тАЬTell me truthfully. DonтАЩt pretend. I donтАЩt want to do an unnecessary wrong. Wait, waitтБатАФthink before you speakтБатАФand believe me when I say this isnтАЩt the time for pretending, for lying, for bluffing. Now tell me the truth: do you know the answer?тАЭ + 

тАЬYeah.тАЭ + 

She smiled faintly, taking her hand from my shoulder, saying: + 

тАЬThen thereтАЩs no use of our fencing.тАЭ + 

I jumped at her. If she had fired from her pocket she might have plugged me. But she tried to get the gun out. By then I had a hand on her wrist. The bullet went into the ground between our feet. The nails of her free hand put three red ribbons down the side of my face. I tucked my head under her chin, turned my hip to her before her knee came up, brought her body hard against mine with one arm around her, and bent her gun-hand behind her. She dropped the gun as we fell. I was on top. I stayed there until I had found the gun. I was getting up when MacMan arrived. + 

тАЬEverythingтАЩs eggs in the coffee,тАЭ I told him, having trouble with my voice. + 

тАЬHave to plug her?тАЭ he asked, looking at the woman lying still on the ground. + 

тАЬNo, sheтАЩs all right. See that the chauffeurтАЩs behaving.тАЭ + 

MacMan went away. The woman sat up, tucked her legs under her, and rubbed her wrist. I said: + 

тАЬThatтАЩs the second reason for your coming, though I thought you meant it for Mrs.┬аCollinson.тАЭ + 

She got up, not saying anything. I didnтАЩt help her up, not wanting her to know how shaky I was. I said: + 

тАЬSince weтАЩve gone this far, it wonтАЩt do any harm and it might do some good to talk.тАЭ + 

тАЬI donтАЩt think anything will do any good now.тАЭ She set her hat straight. тАЬYou say you know. Then lies are worthless, and only lies would help.тАЭ She shrugged. тАЬWell, what now?тАЭ + 

тАЬNothing now, if youтАЩll promise to remember that the time for being desperate is past. This kind of thing splits up in three partsтБатАФbeing caught, being convicted, and being punished. Admit itтАЩs too late to do anything about the first, andтБатАФwell, you know what California courts and prison boards are.тАЭ + 

She looked curiously at me and asked: тАЬWhy do you tell me this?тАЭ + 

тАЬBecause being shot atтАЩs no treat to me, and because when a jobтАЩs done I like to get it cleaned up and over with. IтАЩm not interested in trying to convict you for your part in the racket, and itтАЩs a nuisance having you horning in now, trying to muddy things up. Go home and behave.тАЭ + 

Neither of us said anything more until we had walked back to the limousine. Then she turned, put out her hand to me, and said: + 

тАЬI thinkтБатАФI donтАЩt know yetтБатАФI think I owe you even more now than before.тАЭ + 

I didnтАЩt say anything and I didnтАЩt take her hand. Perhaps it was because she was holding her hand out that she asked: + 

тАЬMay I have my pistol now?тАЭ + 

тАЬNo.тАЭ + 

тАЬWill you give my best wishes to Mrs.┬аCollinson, and tell her IтАЩm so sorry I couldnтАЩt see her?тАЭ + 

тАЬYeah.тАЭ + 

She said, тАЬGoodbye,тАЭ and got into the car; I took off my hat and she rode away. + 