The Fingerprint

Maggie hastened to be helpful.

“Oh, yes, Miss Silver-it was Mr. Joh

“Mr. Joh

“Oh, yes, Miss Silver. So I’m sure there isn’t anything for you to worry about. He rang up and he said, ‘Joh

“Seems fu

“Miss Bell,” she said, “are you sure it was Mr. Joh

Maggie felt as if someone had hit her. She really did. She said, “Oh!” And then, “That’s what he said, ‘Joh

“Miss Bell, did you think it was Mr, Joh

Now that she came to think about it, it might have been anyone’s voice. She had had to listen as hard as she could to do no more than pick up the words. No more than a whisper it was really. When she had told Miss Silver this there was a grave “Thank you, Miss Bell,” and the co

Miss Silver came out of the study and saw Georgina and Anthony in the hall. They were not speaking to each other, they were waiting for her. But before she had time to say anything the front door opened and Joh

“What’s up?”

Joh

“Mr. Fabian, where is Mirrie Field?”

Chapter XL

IT WAS JUST before half-past-seven when Mirrie slipped down the back stairs and let herself out by the side door. She was feeling clever and excited, and very, very pleased with herself and with Joh

The car came up smooth and silent. It stopped beside her and the beam of a torch slid over her from her head to her feet. Then it went out with a click and the door swung open. She said, “Joh

She didn’t say anything, because she couldn’t. She couldn’t make the smallest sound, but if she could have screamed it wouldn’t have made any difference. She leaned back in a dizzy silence and felt how fast the car was going. If she were to open the door and try to get out she might be killed, or she might be a cripple for life like Maggie Bell. She didn’t want to be killed, and she didn’t want to be a cripple. It was easier to sit quite still and wait for what was going to happen next. The car ran on for a time, then slackened speed and drew in to the side of the road and stopped. Sid Turner said,

“Did you bring the money?”

Of course she had known it would be Sid. If it wasn’t Joh

He took hold of her arm and shook her.

“You’ve got a tongue in your head, haven’t you? Did you bring the money?”

Two big frightened tears began to roll down her cheeks.

“Oh, yes, I did.”

“Hand it over!”

It was all in nice clean notes fresh from the bank. She took them out of her pocket and gave them to him.

“And the pearls!”

Frightened as she was, Mirrie was prepared to put up a fight for the pearls. Her breath caught on the words, but she got them out.

“I d-didn’t bring them.”

His voice went quiet and deadly.

“Do you think you can lie to me? I’ve known you too long for that, and you ought to know me!”

His hands came feeling about her neck. The pearls slid into one of them. The other came up and squeezed her throat. The pressure only lasted for a moment, but it put the fear of death into her.

“Try any games with me, and that’s what you’ll get-or worse! Remember me tickling you with my knife? You didn’t like it, did you? Now you and me have got to talk! If you do what you’re told you won’t come to any harm, but try just one trick and you’ll wish you’d never been born!”

He let go of her and she shrank there like a little wild creature that is caught and can’t get away. She didn’t dare to move, she hardly dared to breathe, obeying the age-old instinct that sends its message along the frightened nerves- “Keep still-make yourself small-melt into the earth-pretend that you are dead.”

Mirrie froze where she sat. Sid Turner was putting the pearls away in his wallet. When he had closed it he turned on her again.

“Where are we- I suppose you’ve been out driving with your fancy boy! What’s this place?”