away, leaving silence.
The next thing she knew she was lying on something softly embracing, and Dr. Wicks was forcing her to swallow the bitter contents of a spoon.
After that everything stopped.
Inspector Queen was wandering along the waterâs edge when Chief Pearl came tramping down to the Humffrey beach. The sky over the sea was all pearl shell and salmon belly as the dawn turned to day.
âIâve looked all over for you,â the Taugus policeman bellowed. âWhat the hell are you doing?â
The old man looked up. âNothing much, Abe. Just checking to see if a boat mightnât have beached here last night.â
Abe Pearl stared. âWhy a boat?â
âBecause heâd have been a fool to try his luck twice at getting past that gatehouse in a car.â
âYou mean Frost?â the chief said in an odd tone.
âWho else? But thereâs nothing. Tideâs almost all the way in. I should have thought of it when we got here.â He glanced at his friend. âAll through at the house?â
âYeah.â
They went up through the belt of trees side by side in silence, the big man and the small one, an invisible something between them. As they crossed the perfect lawns Chief Pearl spoke to several of his men, who were still searching the grounds.
âKeep looking till I call you off,â he ordered. âTell the boys in the house ditto.â
They got into the black-and-white police car, and the big man turned on his ignition.
âTalk to that gateman, Peterson?â the old man asked.
âThe state troopers talked to him. He didnât see anything.â Abe Pearl grunted. âDumb as they come, sure. But on the other hand, Dick, a man canât see what isnât there.â
The old man did not reply.
At the gatehouse Chief Pearl crooked his finger at Peterson. Inspector Queen listened quietly.
âAll right, Peterson, letâs have it all over again,â Abe Pearl said.
The guard pushed his fleshy lips forward. âIâll give it to you just once, Chief, then Iâm getting the hell off this Island and so help me Iâll never come back! The last car that went through this gate last night before the Humffrey kid was found dead, like I told the troopers, was that Dodge coop belongs to the nurse up there, that Miss Sherwood, who came in around 12:30 A . M . Before Miss Sherwood, there was an incoming car about an hour earlier, some of old Mrs. Dandridgeâs servants coming back from the Taugus movies. Before that, around 11 P . M ., the Senatorâs chauffeurâââ
âDid a car drive through at any time since you came on duty, going in or out,â the chief interrupted, âthat you didnât recognize? Had to check?â
âNo.â
Richard Queenâs voice startled Peterson. âDid anyone walk through?â
âHuh?â
âSomebody on foot? Going either way?â
âNope.â
âBut somebody could have come through on foot without your seeing him. Isnât that so?â
âListen, friend,â Peterson snarled, âthis gatehouse is a joke. I got to sit down sometimes. I got to step into the bushes once in a while. I got to feed my face. Thereâs a hundred ways a guy can get onto this Island without being seen. Go look for your patsy some place else. Iâm taking no fall but for nobody.â
âYou know, Abe, Petersonâs right,â the old man murmured as they crossed the causeway. âNair Island is accessible to anyone who wants to go to a little trouble. A rowboat to one of the private beaches at night ⦠a sneak past the gate ⦠a young fellow like Ron Frost could even have swum over from one of the Taugus beaches and got back the same way.â
His friend glanced at him. âYouâre dead set that this is murder, Dick, arenât you? And that the Frost kid pulled it?â
âIâm not dead set on anything.
William W. Johnstone, J.A. Johnstone