It's a fishy story.
Supposing that he did take Ruby Keene out in that car last night, after all?"
Chapter 21
Inspector Harper's attitude was calm and pleasing.
This affairs where the police of two counties had to work together were always difficult. He liked Colonel Melchett and had him in mind as an able police officer. But even so he would have liked to lead alone the present interview.
Never do too much at a single turn was Inspector Harper's rule. Simple routine inquiries first. This left the interviewed person more comfortable and ready to be easier in a following interview.
Harper already had seen Raymond Starr around. A good-looking type, tall, lean and nice with very white teeth in a very tan face.
He was dark and elegant, had nice cordial manners and was very popular at the hotel.
"I am sorry, Inspector, but I'm afraid I won't be of much help to you.
Of course I knew Ruby. She was here over a month and we rehearsed our numbers together.
But there is really very little to say.
She was quite a pleasant and rather stupid girl."
"It's her friendships we're particularly anxious to know about.
Her friendships with men."
"So I suppose.
Well, I don't know anything. She'd got a few young men in tow in the hotel, but nothing special.
You see, she was nearly always monopolized by the Jefferson family."
"Yes, the Jefferson family."
Harper paused meditatively. He shot a shrewd glance at the young man.
"What did you think of that business, Mr Starr?"
Raymond Starr said coolly,
"What business?"
Harper said, "Did you know that Mr Jefferson was proposing to adopt Ruby Keene legally?"
This appeared to be news to Starr. He pursed up his lips and whistled. He said,
"The clever little devil!
Oh, well, there's no fool like an old fool."
"That's how it strikes you, is it?"
"Well, what else can one say?
If the old boy wanted to adopt someone, why didn't he pick upon a girl of his own class?"
"Ruby never mentioned the matter to you?"
"No, she didn't.
I knew she was elated about something, but I didn't know what it was."
"And Josie?"
"Oh, I think Josie must have known what was in the wind.
Probably she was the one who planned the whole thing.
Josie's no fool. She's got a head on her, that girl."
Harper nodded.
It was Josie who had sent for Ruby Keene. Josie, no doubt, who had encouraged the intimacy.
No wonder she had been upset when Ruby had failed to show up for her dance that night and Conway Jefferson had begun to panic.
She was envisaging her plans going awry.
He asked, "Could Ruby keep a secret, do you think?"
"As well as most.
She didn't talk about her own affairs much."
"Did she ever say anything anything at all about some friend of hers, someone from her former life who was coming to see her or whom she had had difficulty with?
You know the sort of thing I mean, no doubt."
"I know perfectly.
Well, as far as I'm aware, there was no one of the kind. Not by anything she ever said."
"Thank you.
Now will you just tell me in your own words exactly what happened last night?"
"Certainly.