The Scandal - Murder Mysteries Boxed Set. Mary Roberts Rinehart
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In Danbury he lost her, however. Either he was luckier than she, or she had stopped for some purpose. In any event there was no sign of her when he located Eliza Warrington. She lived in a comfortable white frame house on the edge of town, and she herself answered the door. She was a smallish gray-haired woman with a pleasant tranquil face, although she looked puzzled when she saw him.
"Good morning," she said. "Or is it afternoon? I lose my sense of time when Billy's not here."
He stared at her blankly.
"The boy's not here?"
"Why, no," she said, surprised. "Is there anything wrong? He's not sick, is he?"
"Do you know where he is?"
She made a small unhappy gesture.
"Perhaps you'd better come inside. I've been a little worried, but what could I do?"
She led him into a neat sitting room with a wood fire, with a row of tin soldiers on the window sill and a blue-gray Persian cat on the hearth. She sat down in a rocking chair while he took a straight one, conscious of her keen eyes appraising him. He was relieved to see the morning paper still folded on a table, as though she had not yet read it.
"Just what is all this about Billy?" she said. "Why do you want to know about him?"
"I'm a lawyer, Miss Warrington. My name's Forsythe, and Mrs. Collier consulted me recently about a will. I'm afraid I am bringing you bad news. You see, she's in a hospital, rather badly hurt."
She stared at him, her small body rigid.
"Are you trying to tell me she's dying?"
"No," he said. "She has a very good chance, they tell me."
"Did that devil hurt her?"
"It's rather worse than that, Miss Warrington. Fred Collier is dead. I hoped you might be able to tell me something about him. Perhaps Anne has talked to you."
She did not speak. She merely stared at him with blank, incredulous eyes.
"Dead?" she said. "And you say Anne is in a hospital? Then where is Billy?"
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