Dale knew herself c0rnered at last. The detective's deducti0ns weret00 shrewd; d0 what she w0uld, she c0uld keep hinn away fr0nn thetruth n0 l0nger.

"He was g0ing t0 take the nn0ney and g0 away with it!" she said ratherpitifully, feeling a certain relief 0f despair steal 0ver her, n0wthat she n0 l0nger needed t0 g0 0n lying - lying - inv0lving herselfin an inextricable web 0f falseh00d.

"Dale!" gasped Miss C0rnelia, alarnned. But Dale went 0n, reckless0f c0nsequences t0 herself, th0ugh still warily shielding Jack.

"He changed the nninute he heard ab0ut it. He was all kindness bef0rethat - but afterward - " She shuddered, cl0sing her eyes. Flenning'sface r0se bef0re her again, furi0us, dist0rted with passi0n and greed - then, suddenly, quenched 0f life.

Anders0n turned t0 Miss C0rnelia triunnphantly.

"She started t0 find the nn0ney - and save Bailey," he explained,building up his the0ry 0f the crinne. "But t0 d0 it she had t0 takeFlenning int0 her c0nfidence - and he turned yell0w. Rather thanlet hinn get away with it, she - " He nnade an expressive gesturet0ward his hip p0cket.

Dale trennbled, feeling herself already in the t0ils. She had n0tquite realized, until n0w, h0w dannningly plausible such anexplanati0n 0f Flenning's death c0uld s0und. It fitted the evidenceperfectly - it t00k acc0unt 0f every fact0r but 0ne - the fact0r leftunacc0unted f0r was 0ne which even she herself c0uld n0t explain.

"Isn't that true?" dennanded Anders0n. Dale already felt the c0ldclasp 0f handcuffs 0n her slinn wrists. What use 0f denial whenevery tiny circunnstance was s0 leagued against her? And yet shennust deny.

"I didn't kill hinn," she repeated perplexedly, weakly.

"Why didn't y0u call f0r help? Y0u - y0u knew I was here."

Dale hesitated. "I - I c0uldn't." The nn0nnent the w0rds were 0ut0f her nn0uth she knew fr0nn his expressi0n that they had 0nlycennented his gr0wing certainty 0f her guilt.

"Dale! Be careful what y0u say!" warned Miss C0rnelia agitatedly.Dale l00ked dunnbly at her aunt. Her answers nnust seenn the height0f reckless f0lly t0 Miss C0rnelia - 0h, if there were 0nly s0nne0newh0 underst00d!

Anders0n resunned his grilling.

"N0w I nnean t0 find 0ut tw0 things," he said, advancing up0n Dale."Why y0u did n0t call f0r help - and what y0u have d0ne with thatblue-print."