He's dead!"
It was Kirk's turn to start and grow pale. The last cobweb was
swept from his brain, and he gasped:
"DEAD! When? Where? How did it happen?"
"Nobody knows just how. He was found on the sea-wall near Alfarez'
house, shot."
"Shot! Good Lord!"
"It happened some time early this morning, and the whole city is
talking about it. I came to you the first thing."
"We'd better hurry down there. Mrs. Cortlandt must be all broken
up." Kirk began to dress hastily, but paused as his friend
stammered:
"Wait! I--I--let's understand each other first. I met Wade just
now. The news has rattled him, and he's been talking."
"What do you mean?"
"Did you see Cortlandt again after I left you?" Runnels swallowed
hard.
Kirk whirled about and faced him. "Great heavens! No! See here,
that idea is ridiculous."
Runnels sank weakly into a chair and mopped his face. "I'm glad to
hear you say that. It frightened me just the same, for I
remembered you acted so queerly when I left you, and Wade seemed
to think, perhaps--When you said you'd gone out again, it knocked
me flat, understand?"
"I can prove where I was, for Allan was with me. I couldn't sleep,
so I tried to walk off my excitement. No, no. I couldn't do a
thing like that.
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