I found a chair near the hearth and turned it about so that I could be a spectator to whatever happened. I would join in if I were needed, but I knew Persis would want to handle this herself, with Jon ready to help her, if need be.

Ingram arrived promptly, and Hillary was with him, but not Gail. I don't know why I had expected that she might show up, but that thought had crossed my mind.

Belle brought them into the parlor, and there was a moment when she and Mark Ingram stood together in the doorway and I sensed again the bond between them. Belle had gone away from him, yet he knew she would come back. His confidence in her looked out of his eyes, and her smile of greeting was warm. Sudden doubt rose in my mind. How clever were we to harbor Belle Durant in our midst? Yet, strangely, like Mark Ingram, I trusted her.

Belle stayed near the door, while Ingram went straight to my grandmother and took her hand. It was as though she were an old friend whom he was delighted to see again-no matter that we all knew him for the powerful and dangerous man that he was.

When Hillary smiled at me brightly and pulled a ha.s.sock close to my chair, it was evident that his earlier anger had subsided. Again I sensed his state of barely suppressed excitement. This was a performance he wouldn't want to miss.

"Good morning, Mrs. Morgan," Ingram said. "I'm glad you've finally consented to see me."

"Sit down, please." She had not relinquished command. "No -over there in the light, where I can see you. My eyes aren't as good as they used to be."

His smile was easy and amused as he obeyed, allowing her the privilege of shadow. Hillary, Belle, and I seemed to fade into the background, with the central focus of the room on the two antagonists, while Jon Maddocks stood alert and watchful behind my grandmother's chair.

Persis continued to dominate the scene, and for the time being Ingram permitted her this.

"There is very little you and I have to say to each other," she told him, and I was pleased to hear such strength and resonance in her voice. This was the Persis Morgan of whom others had told me. This was a woman.

"I agree," Ingram said. "But it's time we said it to each other instead of using other people's wits and mouths."

"I intend to stay in this house," Grandmother went on. "I intend to continue holding the valley land and this house and the one in Domino. I would like to buy back from you those portions of Jasper and Domino that you've already purchased. So you need suffer no loss. Jon Maddocks and I have plans of our own for the area. I'm sorry that Mr. Hawes isn't here to make you an offer. But that can be taken care of later."

For once Mark Ingram was taken by surprise. Whatever he had expected in this encounter, it was not an offer on her part to buy him out. After a pause he began to laugh. The sound had an easy, confident ring, but he cut it short quickly.

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Morgan. It just struck my funny bone to see a lady who hasn't even a gun in a holster, let alone one in her hand, trying to outdraw me. That's a pretty good trick."

"It's hardly a trick. I own the land you want, and I don't mean to sell it. I've made my granddaughter my heir in a temporary will, and Caleb Hawes has gone to Denver to draw it up formally. I can stay here as long as necessary to block you, and when I am gone, Laurie will stay in my place. The authorities will be warned that you have tried to threaten us, and have perhaps even harmed my friends in order to drive me out. So you will be watched from now on."

There was a visible stiffening beneath his easy manner that showed an edge of steel. He turned to stare at me across the 299.

room, and I was startled to see not merely dislike in his eyes, but something far stronger and more deadly. If this was what he felt toward me, he had hidden it well until now.

He spoke again to my grandmother. "I've always admired guts. And I'm sure that's a word you understand. But this time you're being foolish, Mrs. Morgan. There's no way you can stand against me and keep me from what I want to do."

"I don't know what you mean," she said haughtily. "We have all the time there is to sit here and wait you out. I don't think you have that kind of time. If your investment here turns out to be a loss, then you can't afford to wait for a decision in your favor that will never come. You'll have to pull out."

He reached into a pocket of his jacket and took something from it, rolling it in his fingers, holding it up for us to see, and I watched, hypnotized. I knew it was the bullet from the deringer that Hillary had told us about. So small a thing to kill a man, to turn him into a heap of bones in a mine tunnel.

"Laurie!" Hillary said in warning, and I realized that I had made a move as if to rise.

"I'm all right," I told him, and was aware of Jon watching me from across the room, his concern for me evident.

Persis paid no attention, her proud look still upon Mark Ingram. "What do you expect to prove with that bullet?" she asked.

His smile was gentle-that dangerous smile that I didn't trust. "Why-that Noah Armand died in this house, and that his body was carried to the mine and left there. The police are going to be interested, and an investigation may open up a lot of other things too." He glanced briefly at me.

"Don't believe him," Hillary whispered.

Persis didn't believe him either. Before he finished speaking, she was shaking her head. "I'm sorry to disappoint you. The man in the mine died violently, yes. But he isn't Noah Ar- 300.

mand. Those bones have been there since my father's day. I know about them."

Jon put a hand on her shoulder in support. "Good try, Mr. Ingram, but it isn't going to work."

With as casual a gesture as though he were taking out a pack of cigarettes, Ingram dipped a hand once more into his pocket. When he drew it out he held a small square of tarnished metal that might be silver.

"Perhaps you've seen this before, Mrs. Morgan?"

She took it from him and held it up to the light. Her gasp was soft and quickly stifled. "Where did you get this?"

"From the same place the bullet came from-those bones in the mine."

"I don't believe that."

"The police will believe it. I have witnesses who will swear to its being found there. And it won't look good for you that this body was never reported."

"What is it?" I cried. "What is it he's found?"

Persis turned the square of silver about in her fingers and then dropped it into the hand Ingram held out for it. She looked haggard as she answered me.

"It's a belt buckle that I had made for Noah one Christmas, soon after we were married. His initials are on it, and he was wearing it the last time I saw him."

Ingram nodded. "Yes, I'm sure he was. That was the time when he returned to run off with Laurie's mother, wasn't it? And was murdered-here in this house."

"That's not true!" Persis cried. "Not a word of what you are saying is true."

Hillary tried to stop me when I rose, but I pushed his hand away and walked over to stand beside my grandmother.

"Of course it's not true. In fact, Noah Armand may still be alive. There isn't any way you can prove those bones in the mine are his, no matter what sleight-of-hand tricks you play with that buckle-however you came by it."

They were all staring at me now, and I hurried on.

"I talked to Caleb Hawes last night. He told me that he had made a search for Noah after he left this house, and that he was able to keep track of him for a while. Then the man he had on the investigation lost the trail-so there's no telling whether he is dead or alive. But he certainly lived for several years after he left this house. There will be proof of that."

"Caleb never told me that," Persis said softly. "I would never have allowed him to track that man. I never wanted to see or hear of Noah Armand again."

Someone across the room released a deep breath, and I realized that it was Belle Durant, still at her place by the door.

Mark Ingram had not been shaken in the least. He turned a mock-kindly look upon me. "Has it occurred to you, Miss Morgan, that Mr. Hawes might have a very good reason for lying, and that this supposed tracking down of Noah Armand could be a complete fabrication? In fact, I'm pretty sure that's what it is."

He dropped both belt buckle and bullet back into a pocket of his jacket and returned to his chair. He crossed his knees with an air of having all the time in the world, lighting a cigarette, while we watched him in stunned silence, waiting for whatever would come next. Not one of us had any doubt, I think, that more would come from this man.

Ingram's smile had turned a little grim when he began to speak again. "You forget that Noah was at one time my very good friend. I knew him as well as anyone could. And I was more or less in his confidence. It cost you a small fortune to get rid of him, didn't it, Mrs. Morgan? All that money you paid him, before he played you the dirty trick of coming back! You wanted him gone pretty badly. You thought you could save your son's marriage by paying him off handsomely and sending 302.

him away. Perhaps you thought you might even prevent Richard Morgan from killing him. Have you ever wondered what became of all the money you paid him after he disappeared?"

Persis stared at him without speaking, and I saw the tightening of lips grown thin with age.

"He was my partner as well as my friend," Ingram went on. "Everything would have gone fine for him if it hadn't been for his stupid infatuation for your daughter-in-law. And hers for him! I warned him against it. But he had to come back, didn't he? He had to make a last try for her. But not before that money was safely in my hands. I told him I would wait for him in Denver and we would go back to Kansas together. Only he never showed up, and I had to start out alone. The money was all I needed. Ironic, isn't it, Mrs. Morgan, that I'm where I am today because of that nest egg in cash that you paid over to Noah Armand? You don't think he wouldn't have come after that if he was able-yet I never saw him again."

I felt a little sick. As sick as my grandmother looked. Jon bent over her, and Belle came a few steps into the room. Only Hillary didn't move. He sat where he was, on the ha.s.sock beside me, his hands about his knees-a frozen spectator.

Jon said, "If you were waiting in Denver, Mr. Ingram, why didn't you come to Jasper to investigate when your partner didn't show up. Why did you let it all go until now?"

"I did come-quietly. The place was in an uproar and swarming with reporters and police. But no trace of Noah turned up, though I made a few discreet inquiries. No one even seemed to know that he'd come back. I knew because he'd told me on the phone that he meant to."

"Why didn't you bring up what you knew with the police?"

"There'd been a murder, and I didn't know any of the details. I didn't want to become involved. So I went off to Kansas alone, knowing Noah could find me when he wanted to. If he stayed away, there must have been a reason. Over the years I've put together a few suspicions. So when Gail told me about the bones in the mine, I had my final clue. I can't be patient forever, Mrs. Morgan. If I can't have what I want because you choose to block me, then perhaps I owe it to Noah to go to the police now."

Persis managed to rouse herself. "You can do as you like. The man in the mine wasn't Noah Armand. There's no way for you to prove what isn't so."

"It may not be necessary to prove it, Mrs. Morgan," Ingram said smoothly. "It may only be necessary to stir up the past a bit and let the investigation take its course. Will you enjoy the publicity that follows? It's sure to make headlines, and how will that be for your granddaughter? How will it affect her for the rest of her life?"

"Mark!". That was Belle's stricken cry. "Mark, you can't do this!"

"Get out of my house!" Persis' voice cracked as she shouted at him, her proud poise gone.

He went straight to Belle and took both her hands in his. "I'm sorry. This is what I have to do."

Then he was gone, out the door, and an odd mutual releasing of breath seemed to sigh around the room. But before we could recover, he was back, smiling at us as outrageously, as though no controversy had ever existed.

"Of course I'll do nothing about this until after my Fortyniners' Ball," he announced. "Too much has gone into that It's to be held this coming Sat.u.r.day night, you know."

I think we all gaped at him, unable to make the switch that Mark Ingram had made so easily. He went right on in the face of our astonishment.

"Gail is helping me by phoning friends in Boulder and Denver and other parts of the country. There's no time for for- mal invitations. But they'll come. I want to hold it right away, in order to celebrate the opening up of Jasper to the world. I'll have the press here, of course, and various people from the media. Maybe a congressman or two. Naturally, I hope you will all come. That dress you're wearing, Mrs. Morgan, will do very well as a costume. I'll hope to see you then."

He was entirely confident as he made a sweeping gesture with his broad-brimmed hat. Then he was really gone.

"Don't worry," Belle said cheerfully. "All that stuff he's been carrying on about-it's just bluff. He always thinks he can pull things off in a big way, even when he's losing. But there's nothing he can do if you just hold on."

"I don't believe he's losing," Persis said. In the last few moments all her courage and eagerness for battle had drained away. "Perhaps there's nothing else to do but give in and let him have his way."

"Don't do that!" Hillary's words were unexpected as he left his place and came to where we stood around Persis. "Don't worry, Mrs. Morgan. Belle's right. Ingram was lying. I could tell. You and Laurie can stand against him if you don't let his bluffing beat you down."

I hoped he was right. I knew, as the others could not, that Hillary had a keen eye for reading character, for discerning the gesture or the look that betrayed.

"What's more," he went on, "I think we should all go to that ball of Ingram's. Mrs. Morgan, you can do some bluffcalling of your own if you're there. If you don't go, he'll think you're afraid of him."

Belle laughed. "Why not? That's the very way to confound him." Then she caught my grandmother's look. "Never mindyou don't have to decide now. Jon, help me get Mrs. Morgan upstairs to her room. There's been enough excitement for one day."

35.

Persis gave in, her energy drained, and Belle and Jon helped her up the stairs. The return of the missing deringer was still on my mind, but I couldn't add another worry for Persis at this time.

At the front door Hillary gave me a quick hug and then v ent jauntily off toward the Timberline. It was as though his anger with me had never existed. He was still refusing to accept any break between us, and for me he was a problem that still had to be solved.

Jon came down while I was there on the porch, and v,e sat on the front steps together while I related all that had happened last night. I told him of my curious meeting with Gail and Caleb in the empty church, and about what had happened later when someone at the house went into the back parlor.

"Now there are two deringers in the box," I told him. "The one that was missing has been returned. What can this possibly ] mean?"

Jon got up at once and went with me down the hall. In the I rear parlor the French door to the side porch stood open, as the I intruder had left it, and the room wasn't as dark as usual. Jon noted the table that had been moved and the chair that was set in its place near the wall.

"To stand on?" Jon puzzled.

He climbed on the straight chair and reached toward the wall above his head. A small patch of wallpaper up near the black walnut molding had been torn, and when he pulled, it hung down to show cracked plaster. But there was nothing to tell him whatever he wanted to know.

"I wonder," he said as he got down from the chair. "In fact, I've always wondered."

"What? What do you wonder?"

"Nothing. Nothing that makes any sense. When your father died, the police picked this room clean. There would be noth- mal invitations. But they'll come. I want to hold it right away, in order to celebrate the opening up of Jasper to the world. I'll have the press here, of course, and various people from the media. Maybe a congressman or two. Naturally, I hope you will all come. That dress you're wearing, Mrs. Morgan, will do very well as a costume. I'll hope to see you then."

He was entirely confident as he made a sweeping gesture with his broad-brimmed hat. Then he was really gone.

"Don't worry," Belle said cheerfully. "All that stuff he's been carrying on about-it's just bluff. He always thinks he can pull things off in a big way, even when he's losing. But there's nothing he can do if you just hold on."

"I don't believe he's losing," Persis said. In the last few moments all her courage and eagerness for battle had drained away. "Perhaps there's nothing else to do but give in and let him have his way."

"Don't do that!" Hillary's words were unexpected as he left his place and came to where we stood around Persis. "Don't worry, Mrs. Morgan. Belle's right. Ingram was lying. I could tell. You and Laurie can stand against him if you don't let his bluffing beat you down."

I hoped he was right. I knew, as the others could not, that Hillary had a keen eye for reading character, for discerning the gesture or the look that betrayed.

"What's more," he went on, "I think we should all go to that ball of Ingram's. Mrs. Morgan, you can do some bluffcalling of your own if you're there. If you don't go, he'll think you're afraid of him."

Belle laughed. "Why not? That's the very way to confound him." Then she caught my grandmother's look. "Never mindyou don't have to decide now. Jon, help me get Mrs. Morgan upstairs to her room. There's been enough excitement for one day."

35.

Persis gave in, her energy drained, and Belle and Jon helped her up the stairs. The return of the missing deringer was still on my mind, but I couldn't add another worn for Persis at this time.

At the front door Hillary gave me a quick hug and then v ent jauntily off toward the Timberline. It was as though his anger with me had never existed. He was still refusing to accept am break between us, and for me he was a problem that still had to be solved.

Jon came down while I was there on the porch, and w e sat on the front steps together while I related all that had happened last night. I told him of my curious meeting with Gail and Caleb in the empty church, and about what had happened later when someone at the house went into the back parlor.

"Now there are two deringers in the box," I told him. "The one that was missing has been returned. What can this possibh mean?"

Jon got up at once and went with me down the hall. In the rear parlor the French door to the side porch stood open, as the intruder had left it, and the room wasn't as dark as usual Jon noted the table that had been moved and the chair that was set in its place near the wall.

"To stand on?" Jon puzzled.

He climbed on the straight chair and reached toward the wall above his head. A small patch of wallpaper up near the black walnut molding had been torn, and when he pulled, it hung down to show cracked plaster. But there was nothing to tell him whatever he wanted to know.

"I wonder," he said as he got down from the chair. "In fact, I've always wondered."

"What? What do you wonder?"