"Yes, sah, Colonel."

"Eh--Shag--before you go, you--er--you might leave me that paper I see
under your vest. I may have occasion to--to glance at it, to see what
to-morrow's weather is going to be for fishing."

"Yes, sah, Colonel."

And, with a carefully concealed grin on his face, Shag drew the
black-lettered paper from under his waistcoat, and laid it on the bed
beside the "Complete Angler."




CHAPTER IV

SPOTTY

"Well, now," observed Detective Thong, and, somehow or other, his voice
sounded really cheerful, "let's see where we're at, Mr. Darcy. Have
you looked over the stock all you want to?"

They were in a room in the rear of the jewelry store--the city and
county detectives, the reporters and James Darcy--with Policeman
Mulligan on guard near the cut glass and silver gleaming in the
showcases. On guard near a dark red stain in the floor, scarcely
dry--it was still soaking into the wood. The body of the murdered
woman had been taken away, followed by a sigh of relief from James
Darcy, who, try as he did, could not keep his eyes from seeking it.

"The stock is checked up as well as I can do it in a short time,"
replied the jewelry worker, who had spent some time going over the
store under the watchful eyes of Carroll and Thong. "I'm not sure
anything is taken. If there is, as I said, it can't be much. But I'll
go over everything more carefully, checking up the books. That will
take a few days, but I can do it while I'm here arranging for the
funeral."

"Not here you can't do it," broke in Carroll, with a short laugh.

"Not here?" There was startled amazement in Darcy's question.

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because you won't be here. You'd better come with us. You'll have
to, in fact. The captain'll want to have a talk with you, and I guess
the prosecutor the same. How about it, Jim?" and he looked over at
Haliday, from the Court House. He was examining the side door leading
to the alley.

"Oh, sure! he'll have to be held--as a witness, anyhow," was the easy
answer, and in the same breath he added: "Not a mark! Not a scratch on
the place! It was an inside job all right!"

"Held? I'll have to be--held?" faltered Darcy.

"Of course," said Thong. "And, while you're at it, take a friend's
advice, and keep your mouth shut."

"You mean anything I say might--might be used--against me?"

"Oh, I wouldn't put it that way exactly. That's moving picture
stuff--theater business, you know. We don't go in for that--not me and
Carroll. But don't talk too much. Of course you'll have to answer a
lot of questions, and the easier you do the better for you. But wait
until they're asked. Maybe it's against my interests to say that, but
I've sort of took a notion to you. Now you'd better get ready to
leave."

"You mean lock the place up?"

"Oh, no, somebody'll have to stay here."

"Not me!" interrupted Mulligan. "I haven't had my breakfast. I was
jest comin' in off dog-watch when I happened to see what was goin' on
here--the crowd an' everythin'. I ain't goin' to stay!"

"Well, 'phone in then and get somebody," advised Carroll testily.
"Somebody's got to be here until we can look around more."

"I'll stay for a while." said Haliday. "I'd like to look about a bit
myself. I'll probably have to get the case ready for the prosecutor."

"Well, let's be going then," suggested Thong. "Shall I ring for the
wagon?"

His partner shook his head after a look at Darcy.

"The trolley'll be all right for him," he said in a whisper. "We can
get out the back way and avoid the crowd," for the street in front of
the jewelry store was still thronged, in spite of the ever increasing
rain. "As for King, he's asleep, and I guess we can put him to bed
here. If we try to carry him out there'll be more of a push than there
is now. Let him sleep it off," and he glanced at a huddled figure in a
corner chair.



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