In the Still of the Night

to know what you heard.”
    Henry wasn’t especially frightened of him. He didn’t recognize that he was supposed to be. So he closed his eyes for a moment and tried very hard to remember. “I heard a woman humming a song. The music was familiar, but the words blurred.“
    “What woman?“
    “Couldn’t tell. It might have been Phoebe’s voice. And somebody mentioned an appendix.“
    “Was that Professor Hoornart? He was question- ing Mr. West about dates and so forth of his life for an appendix to his book.“
    “Could have been. And later I heard a woman say, “Oh, Professor Hoornart, wait a moment. I have a local map if you’d like to borrow it. That might have been Phoebe, too.“
    “And what else?“
    “Nothing else. Except snoring. And shuffling noises as people were getting ready for bed.”
    Walker questioned him more, but got nothing. Henry claimed he just hadn’t paid attention. It was merely a test of his system.
    Robert and Lily had been lurking outside the door, but hadn’t been able to hear very well. They pounced on Henry when he came out of the room and he obligingly repeated his whole conversation with Chief Walker.

    The next thing on Lily’s mental list was to find Jack Summer. She found him grilling his cousin Ralph, who had finished looking for evidence of paper being burned in the house (they’d have all smelled it anyway) and was looking around in the woods behind the house for a likely spot to burn things.
    “Walker hasn’t told me anything, Jack. I’m just the toady,“ Ralph was saying when Lily located them. “He’s not a big blabbermouth like that ass Chief Henderson was.“
    “Jack, could I have a talk with you,“ Lily interrupted.
    “Sure. Have you learned something?“
    “Not a thing. But I want to give you a warning. Don’t pry into this death at dinner. And don’t try to interview Mr. West, either. Before and after, you can make any arrangements you want. But dinner is off limits. You’re a guest, not an editor or reporter then.”
    Jack frowned. “Okay, but I’m coming early and staying late. And I’ll be at The Fate tomorrow. Tell me about these people, would you? I know about West, of course. I read one of his books once. Didn’t like it much. But tell me more about this woman who died.”
    Lily said, “I’ve already told you everything I know about her. She claimed to be a friend of my friend Addie, but she wasn’t. She wrote and asked if she could be invited so as to renew an old friendship with West.“
    “She lied?“
    “About that. And probably about other things as well. But I don’t know what.“
    “You don’t sound as if you liked her much.“
    “I didn’t. She was very attractive for her age, and too-too charming. I suspect everything she did was an act of some kind. And don’t you dare say so in the paper!“
    “No, I won’t. I never met her, but I trust your opinion. So why is Ralph looking for something that might have been burned?“
    “I presume because Cecil Hoornart’s manuscript and notes are missing. They were for his biography of Julian West.“
    “You’ve had a theft as well as a murder?“
    “I didn’t think so. I thought Professor Hoornart had just absentmindedly forgotten where he left it. But he’s driven everyone mad looking for it and now Walker’s got Ralph searching as well. Walker thinks it’s important, I guess.“
    “Which leads us back to West again. But if this Hoornart fellow knew something he shouldn’t have, wouldn’t he have been the victim instead of Mrs. Ethridge?“ Jack said as much to himself as Lily.
    “I hadn’t thought about it that way,“ Lily said. “If someone really did steal the papers, that wouldn’t wipe the important parts out of Cecil’s mind. He may still be in danger. I suppose I should mention that to Walker.“
    “I’m sure he’s capable of working it out himself,“ Jack said. “And the missing manuscript may not be important at all. Maybe someone just snatched it to get a sort of preview of the book he was preparing. Just out of curiosity.“
    “But who would do that?“
    “Isn’t your friend Addie rather a brainy sort who reads all his stuff?”
    Lily’s temper flared. “Why is everybody suspicious of Addie? She’s the most forthright, honest person I know.“
    “Who else is suspicious of her?“ Jack asked. “Maybe you?“
    “Of course not!“ Lily said, stomping away.
    “Of course not,“ she repeated quietly to herself.

Chapter 15

    Lily felt