human
Again--why do you play vampire roles, Miss Loring? I asked, as quickly as the thought flashed to me.
gpt
I think you'd be an ideal ingenue!
human
About a thousand people have told me that, she rejoined. As she replied her smile took full possession of her features. My idiotic repetition, entirely out of place, had served to restore her self-control to her.
gpt
No, the public won't stand for it. They've been trained to know me as a vamp, and a vamp I remain.
human
Merle Shirley and I were engaged, she went on.
gpt
That you know. Then poor Stella made a fool of him. She didn't mean any harm, any real harm, but I don't think she knew how deep he feels or just what a fiery temper he has. Finally he found out that she was only playing with him. He was perfectly terrible. At first I thought he had killed her in a burst of passion. I really thought that.
human
Yes?
gpt
When I asked him point blank he said he didn't. A very wonderful light came into Marilyn Loring's eyes at this instant.
human
Whatever else he would do, Professor Kennedy, he wouldn't lie to me; that I know. He would tell me the truth because he knows I would shield him, no matter what the cost.
gpt
You simply want to assure me of his innocence?
human
No! There was a touch of scorn to the little negative.
gpt
You don't believe him guilty; you didn't even when I did.
human
Then--
gpt
But he knows something--something about the murder of Stella--and he won't tell me what it is. I--I'm afraid for him. He isn't sleeping at night, and I believe he's watching somebody at the studio, and I know--it's the WOMAN'S intuition, Professor --she emphasized the word, and paused--
human
What do you wish me to do, Miss Loring?
gpt
I want you to protect him and --slowly she colored, up and around and about her eyes as she always did, until she wasn't unlike an Indian maid--
human
Now! I exclaimed.
gpt
Now say it isn't Werner! Here is Merle Shirley watching some one at the studio. Isn't that likely to be the director? And if Shirley is watching Werner you have the explanation for the second intruder at Tarrytown last night. Shirley is big enough and strong enough to have given the deputy a nice swift tussle.
human
A little tall, I'm afraid,
gpt
You can't go by the deputy's impressions. He didn't really remember much of anything. Certainly he was unobserving.
human
Perhaps you're right, Walter. Kennedy smiled.
gpt
But how about Gordon? he added.
human
There's genuine motive--money!
gpt
Or Shirley himself! I attempted to be sarcastic.
human
There's genuine motive. Stella made a fool out of him.
gpt
It wasn't a murder of passion, Kennedy reminded me.
human
No one in a white heat of rage would study up on snake venoms.
gpt
If it were a slow-smoldering--
human
Shirley's anger wasn't that kind.
gpt
But good heavens! As usual I arrived nowhere in an argument with Kennedy.
human
Circumstantial evidence points to Werner almost altogether--
gpt
You've forgotten one point in your chain, Walter.
human
What's that?
gpt
Whoever took the needle from the curtain last night scratched himself on it and left blood spots on the portieres, tiny ones, but real blood spots, nevertheless. That means the intruder inoculated himself with venom. I doubt that the poison was so dry as to be ineffectual. If it was Werner, how do you account for the fact that he is still alive?
human
Do you --I guess my eyes went wide--
gpt
How do you account for it yourself?
human
Let's call it a day, Walter, he rejoined.
gpt
Let's go to bed!