"Why, have you made a mistake?"
"I hope not. But tell me of Warren's mistake."
She had been waiting what seemed an eternity before Van Cleft's
house, when a big machine drew up alongside. Warren greeted
her with a smiling invitation to leave Shirley guessing. Her
willingness to go, she felt, would disarm his suspicions. The
little dinner in the apartment with Shine, Warren and three girls
had been in good taste enough: pretending, however, to be
overcome with weariness she persuaded them to let her cuddle up
on the couch, where she feigned sleep. Warren had tossed an
overcoat over her and left the apartment with the others,
promising to return in a few minutes. He had said to Shine,
"She'll be quiet until we return--it may be a good alibi to have
her here." Then he had disappeared, wearing only a soft hat,
with no other overcoat. Listening at the closed hall door, she
heard him direct the elevator man, "Second off, Joe." The door
was locked from the outside. The servant's entrance was locked,
all the bedrooms locked, every one with a Yale lock above the
ordinary keyhole.
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