'What fingerprints?' asked Farrar, startled.

'You've forgotten,' Laura reminded him. 'The fingerprints on the table. The police have been thinking that they're MacGregor's, but if Angell goes to them with this story, then they'll ask to take your fingerprints, and then -'

She broke off. Julian Farrar now looked very worried. 'Yes, yes, I see,' he muttered. 'All right, then. I'll have to admit that I came over here and - tell some story. I came over to see Richard about something, and we talked -'

'You can say he was perfectly all right when you left him,' Laura suggested, speaking quickly.

There was little trace of affection in Farrar's eyes as he looked at her. 'How easy you make it sound!' he retorted, hotly. 'Can I really say that?' he added sarcastically.

'One has to say something!' she told him, sounding defensive.

'Yes, I must have put my hand there as I bent over to see -' He swallowed, as the scene came back to him.

'So long as they believe the prints are MacGregor's,' said Laura, eagerly.

'MacGregor! MacGregor!' Farrar exclaimed angrily. He was almost shouting now. 'What on earth made you think of cooking up that message from the newspaper and putting it on Richard's body? Weren't you taking a terrific chance?'

'Yes - no - I don't know,' Laura cried in confusion.

Farrar looked at her with silent revulsion. 'So d.a.m.ned cold-blooded,' he muttered.

'We had to think of something,' Laura sighed. 'I - I just couldn't think. It was really Michael's idea.'

'Michael?'

'Michael - Starkwedder,' Laura told him.

'You mean he helped you?' Farrar asked. He sounded incredulous.

'Yes, yes, yes!' Laura cried impatiently. 'That's why I wanted to see you - to explain to you -'

Farrar came up close to her. His tone was icily jealous as he asked, firmly, 'What's Michael - he emphasized Starkwedder's Christian name with a cold anger - 'what's Michael Starkwedder doing in all this?'

'He came in and - and found me there,' Laura told him. 'I'd - I'd got the gun in my hand and -'

'Good G.o.d!' Farrar exclaimed with distaste, moving away from her. 'And somehow you persuaded him -'

'I think he persuaded me,' Laura murmured sadly. She moved closer to him. 'Oh, Julian -' she began.

Her arms were about to go around his neck, but he pushed her away slightly. 'I've told you, I'll do anything I can,' he a.s.sured her. 'Don't think I won't - but -'

Laura looked at him steadily. 'You've changed,' she said quietly.

'I'm sorry, but I can't feel the same,' Farrar admitted desperately. 'After what's happened - I just can't feel the same.'

'I can,' Laura a.s.sured him. 'At least, I think I can. No matter what you'd done, Julian, I'd always feel the same.'

'Never mind our feelings for the moment,' said Farrar. 'We've got to get down to facts.'

Laura looked at him. 'I know,' she said. 'I - I told Starkwedder that I'd - you know, that I'd done it.'

Farrar looked at her incredulously. 'You told Starkwedder that?'

'Yes.'

'And he agreed to help you? He - a stranger? The man must be mad!'

Stung, Laura retorted, 'I think perhaps he is a little mad. But he was very comforting.'

'So! No man can resist you,' Farrar exclaimed angrily. 'Is that it?' He took a step away from her, and then turned to face her again. 'All the same, Laura, murder -' His voice died away and he shook his head.

'I shall try never to think of it,' Laura answered. 'And it wasn't premeditated, Julian. It was just an impulse.' She spoke almost pleadingly.

'There's no need to go back over it all,' Farrar told her. 'We've got to think now what we're going to do.'

'I know,' she replied. 'There are the fingerprints and your lighter.'

'Yes,' he recalled. 'I must have dropped it as I leaned over his body.'

'Starkwedder knows it's yours,' Laura told him. 'But he can't do anything about it. He's committed himself. He can't change his story now.'

Julian Farrar looked at her for a moment. When he spoke, his voice had a slightly heroic tone. 'If it comes to it, Laura, I'll take the blame,' he a.s.sured her.

'No, I don't want you to,' Laura cried. She clasped his arm, and then released him quickly with a nervous glance towards the house. 'I don't want you to!' she repeated urgently.

'You mustn't think that I don't understand - how it happened,' said Farrar, speaking with an effort. 'You picked up the gun, shot him without really knowing what you were doing, and -'

Laura gave a gasp of surprise. 'What? Are you trying to make me say I killed him?' she cried.

'Not at all,' Farrar responded. He sounded embarra.s.sed. 'I've told you I'm perfectly prepared to take the blame if it comes to it.'

Laura shook her head in confusion. 'But - you said -' she began. 'You said you knew how it happened.'

He looked at her steadily. 'Listen, Laura,' he said. 'I don't think you did it deliberately. I don't think it was premeditated. I know it wasn't. I know quite well that you only shot him because -'

Laura interrupted quickly, 'I shot him?' she gasped.

'Are you really pretending to believe that I shot him?'

Turning his back on her, Farrar exclaimed angrily, For G.o.d's sake, this is impossible if we're not going to be honest with each other!'

Laura sounded desperate as, trying not to shout, she announced clearly and emphatically, 'I didn't shoot him, and you know it!'

There was a pause. Julian Farrar slowly turned to face her. 'Then who did?' he asked. Suddenly realizing, he added, 'Laura! Are you trying to say that I shot him?'

They stood facing each other, neither of them speaking for a moment. Then Laura said, CI heard the shot, Julian.' She took a deep breath before continuing. 'I heard the shot, and your footsteps on the path going away. I came down, and there he was - dead.'

After a pause Farrar said quietly, 'Laura, I didn't shoot him.' He gazed up at the sky as though seeking help or inspiration, and then looked at her intently. 'I came over here to see Richard,' he explained, 'to tell him that after the election we'd got to come to some arrangement about a divorce. I heard a shot just before I got here. I just thought it was Richard up to his tricks as usual. I came in here, and there he was. Dead. He was still warm.'

Laura was now very perplexed. 'Warm?' she echoed.

'He hadn't been dead more than a minute or two,' said Farrar. 'Of course I believed you'd shot him. Who else could have shot him?'

'I don't understand,' Laura murmured.

'I suppose - I suppose it could have been suicide,' Farrar began, but Laura interrupted him. 'No, it couldn't, because -'

She broke off, as they both heard Jan's voice inside the house, shouting excitedly.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN.

Julian Farrar and Laura ran towards the house, almost colliding with Jan as he emerged through the french windows. 'Laura,' Jan cried as she gently but firmly propelled him back into the study. 'Laura, now that Richard's dead, all of his pistols and guns and things belong to me, don't they? I mean, I'm his brother, I'm the next man in the family.'

Julian Farrar followed them into the room and wandered distractedly across to the armchair, sitting on an arm of it as Laura attempted to pacify Jan who was now complaining petulantly, 'Benny won't let me have his guns. She's locked them up in the cupboard in there.' He waved vaguely towards the door. 'But they're mine. I've got a right to them. Make her give me the key.'

'Now listen, Jan darling,' Laura began, but Jan would not be interrupted. He went quickly to the door, and then turned back to her, exclaiming, 'She treats me like a child. Benny, I mean. Everyone treats me like a child. But I'm not a child, I'm a man. I'm nineteen. I'm nearly of age.' He stretched his arms across the door as though protecting his guns. 'All of Richard's sporting things belong to me. I'm going to do what Richard did. I'm going to shoot squirrels and birds and cats.' He laughed hysterically. 'I might shoot people, too, if I don't like them.'

'You mustn't get too excited, Jan,' Laura warned him.

'I'm not excited,' Jan cried petulantly. 'But I'm not going to be - what's it called? - I'm not going to be victimized.' He came back into the centre of the room, and faced Laura squarely. I'm master here now. I'm the master of this house. Everybody's got to do as I say.' He paused, then turned and addressed Julian Farrar. 'I could be a JP if I wanted to, couldn't I, Julian?'

'I think you're a little young for that yet,' Farrar told him.

Jan shrugged, and turned back to Laura. 'You all treat me like a child,' he complained again. 'But you can't do it any longer - not now that Richard's dead.' He flung himself onto the sofa, legs sprawling. 'I expect I'm rich, too, aren't I?' he added. 'This house belongs to me. n.o.body can push me around any longer. I can push them around. I'm not going to be dictated to by silly old Benny. If Benny tries ordering me about, I shall -' He paused, then added childishly, 'I know what I shall do!'

Laura approached him. 'Listen, Jan darling,' she murmured gently. 'It's a very worrying time for all of us, and Richard's things don't belong to anybody until the lawyers have come and read his will and granted what they call probate. That's what happens when anyone dies. Until then, we all have to wait and see. Do you understand?'

Laura's tone had a calming and quietening effect on Jan. He looked up at her, then put his arms around her waists nestling close to her. 'I understand what you tell me, Laura,' he said. 'I love you, Laura. I love you very much.'

'Yes, darling,' Laura murmured soothingly. 'I love you, too.'

'You're glad Richard's dead, aren't you?' Jan asked her suddenly.

Slightly startled, Laura replied hurriedly, 'No, of course I'm not glad.'

'Oh yes, you are,' said Jan, slyly. 'Now you can marry Julian.'

Laura looked quickly at Julian Farrar, who rose to his feet as Jan continued, 'You've wanted to marry Julian for a long time, haven't you? I know. They think I don't notice or know things. But I do. And so it's all right for both of you now. It's been made all right for you, and you're both pleased. You're pleased, because -'

He broke off, hearing Miss Bennett out in the corridor calling, 'Jan!', and laughed. 'Silly old Benny!' he shouted, bouncing up and down on the sofa.

'Now, do be nice to Benny,' Laura cautioned Jan, as she pulled him to his feet. 'She's having such a lot of trouble and worry over all this.' Guiding Jan to the door, Laura continued gently, 'You must help Benny, Jan, because you're the man of the family now.'

Jan opened the door, then looked from Laura to Julian. 'AH right, all right,' he promised, with a smile. 'I will.' He left the room, shutting the door behind him and calling 'Benny!' as he went.

Laura turned to Julian Farrar who had risen from his armchair and walked over to her. Td no idea he knew about us,' she exclaimed.

'That's the trouble with people like Jan,' Farrar retorted. 'You never know how much or how little they do know. He's very - well, he gets rather easily out of hand, doesn't he?'

'Yes, he does get easily excited,' Laura admitted. 'But now that Richard isn't here to tease him, he'll calm down. He'll get to be more normal. I'm sure he will.'

Julian Farrar looked doubtful. 'Well, I don't know about that,' he began, but broke off as Starkwedder suddenly appeared at the french windows.

'h.e.l.lo - good evening,' Starkwedder called, sounding quite happy.

'Oh - er - good evening,' Farrar replied, hesitantly.

'How's everything? Bright and cheerful?' Starkwedder enquired, looking from one to the other. He suddenly grinned. 'I see,' he observed. 'Two's company and three's none.' He stepped into the room. 'Shouldn't have come in by the window this way. A gentleman would have gone to the front door and rung the bell. Is that it? But then, you see, I'm no gentleman.'

'Oh, please -' Laura began, but Starkwedder interrupted her. 'As a matter of fact,' he explained, 'I've come for two reasons. First, to say goodbye. My character's been cleared. High-level cables from Abadan saying what a fine, upright fellow I am. So I'm free to depart.'

'I'm so sorry you're going - so soon,' Laura told him, with genuine feeling in her voice.

'That's nice of you,' Starkwedder responded with a touch of bitterness, 'considering the way I b.u.t.ted in on your family murder.' He looked at her for a moment, then moved across to the desk chair. 'But I came in by the window for another reason,' he went on. 'The police brought me up in their car. And, although they're being very tight-lipped about it, it's my belief there's something up!'

Dismayed, Laura gasped, 'The police have come back?'

'Yes,' Starkwedder affirmed, decisively.

'But I thought they'd finished this morning,' said Laura.

Starkwedder gave her a shrewd look. 'That's why I say - something's up!' he exclaimed.

There were voices in the corridor outside. Laura and Julian Farrar drew together as the door opened, and Richard Warwick's mother came in, looking very upright and self-possessed, though still walking with the aid of a cane.

'Benny!' Mrs Warwick called over her shoulder, and then addressed Laura. 'Oh, there you are, Laura. We've been looking for you.'

Julian Farrar went to Mrs Warwick and helped her into the armchair. 'How kind you are to come over again, Julian,' the old lady exclaimed, 'when we all know how busy you are.'

'I would have come before, Mrs Warwick,' Farrar told her, as he settled her in the chair, 'but it's been a particularly hectic day. Anything that I can possibly do to help -' He stopped speaking as Miss Bennett entered followed by Inspector Thomas. Carrying a briefcase, the inspector moved to take up a central position. Starkwedder went to sit in the desk chair, and lit a cigarette as Sergeant Cadwallader came in with Angell, who closed the door and stood with his back to it.

'I can't find young Mr Warwick, sir,' the sergeant reported, crossing to the french windows.

'He's out somewhere. Gone for a walk,' Miss Bennett announced.

'It doesn't matter,' said the inspector. There was a momentary pause as he surveyed the occupants of the room. His manner had changed, for it now had a grimness it did not have before.

After waiting a moment for him to speak, Mrs Warwick asked coldly, 'Do I understand that you have further questions to ask us, Inspector Thomas?'

'Yes, Mrs Warwick,' he replied, I'm afraid I have.'

Mrs Warwick's voice sounded weary as she asked, 'You still have no news of this man MacGregor?'