Elliot moved abruptly.

“Your secretary, Pearson?” he said.

James Paradine’s fine black eyebrows rose.

“You didn’t know that he was a cousin? A distant one, but kin is kin. No, it’s all in the family, and I propose to deal with it in the family. That is why I am including you.”

Elliot stiffened noticeably.

“I’m afraid I can’t claim-” he began, and was met with a curt,

“That’s enough about that! Don’t ride your high horse with me! You’ll do as I say, and for the simple reason that we’ve got to get the prints back, and I suppose you don’t want a scandal any more than I do. As to punishment, you needn’t be afraid. It will be-adequate.”

There was a silence. Elliot stood there. It seemed to him that he had been standing there for a long time. He thought, “What’s behind all this-what is he up to-what does he know?” He said,

“Aren’t you rather jumping to conclusions, sir? After all, the case must have been here in the house for a couple of hours. Aren’t you rather pinning it on the family? What about the servants?”

James Paradine leaned back. He laid his hands to-gether fingertip to fingertip and rested them upon his knee. He said in a quiet, ordinary tone,

“I’m afraid not, my dear Elliot. You see, I know who took the prints.”

Chapter 2

Grace Paradine came out of her room and stood hesitating for a moment with her hand on the knob of the door. It was a very white hand, and it wore a very fine ruby ring. The passage upon which she had emerged was lighted from end to end and thickly carpeted with an old-fashioned but most expensive carpet, a riot of crimson, cobalt, and green.