Read Online Another Woman's House by Mignon G. Eberhart - Free Book Online Page B

said the Governor. “I was then the prosecuting attorney, as you’ll remember. Nobody knows the case better than I. She’d never have been convicted without the eye-witness testimony of Webb Manders. With it there was a case; without it …” He shrugged. “Since it was admitted perjury that sent your wife to prison it was my obvious duty on the facts of the case to pardon her, as quickly and as quietly as possible.”
    â€œWhen …” began Richard, but the Governor went on quickly, “She had suffered greatly from publicity. I was determined to avoid any more of that. Telephones, telegrams—somehow, too often, there is a leak. The important thing was to get her out and home, quickly and above all things quietly. I sent for the present district attorney who agreed with me. I wrote out her pardon. My wife, who was the only other person besides myself and the district attorney who knew what I had decided to do, sent a veil and a warm coat along with me in the car. I had my chauffeur take me to Auburn. The warden’s integrity and discretion are unquestionable. I told him the whole story. He went himself to bring her to his office. Together we managed to get her out of the place without another soul knowing it. I realized that this would be a shock to you, Thorne; but it would be, in any event, and it seemed to me I had no right to run the risk of photographers at the prison gate, headlines, ail that sort of thing.” He paused and eyed Richard thoughtfully. “I hope you think I took the right course.”
    â€œYes,” said Richard. “Yes.”
    â€œWe’ll have to release a statement, of course. But now that she is safely at home you can take proper measures to protect her.”
    â€œYes,” said Richard again.
    Barton appeared in the doorway, a tray in his hands, hesitated and came forward.
    The Governor said, “It will be only the nine days’ wonder of publicity that might really be troublesome to her. My own position is, of course,” he paused and his mouth tightened rather grimly, “different. There’ll be a field day, especially in the opposition press. However, I followed the only right and possible course, although there’ll be plenty who’ll say that your money, Thorne, bought her pardon.” He paused again for a reflective instant. The grim, obstinate look in his face deepened. He shrugged. “I suppose many men in my place would have delayed, had a hearing, publicized the thing. But that’s not my way. Law is law; justice is justice. It is my duty both morally and legally to undo a moral and legal wrong. And I’ve never been one to let the grass grow under my feet. The papers will be after me, all of them in full cry; but I think I can tackle them. And you can take every possible measure, Thorne, to protect your wife. The police may be obliged to question her but they’ll make it easy on her.
    â€œPolice!” said Richard sharply.
    The tray clattered as Barton put it down on a table.
    The Governor said, “Why, yes. Police.”
    â€œDo you mean that the case is re-opened?”
    â€œWhy, yes!” said the Governor again. “Jack Manders was murdered. Your wife didn’t kill him. But somebody did.” The big man’s shrewd bright eyes went thoughtfully around the room once and came back to fix upon the terrace doors, and then the door into the wide hall. “Somebody stood there—or there—and shot him.”
    Ice tinkled sharply in the glass in Barton’s hands; usually his hands were silent and steady. A log fell with a kind of sigh and sent up a shower of sparks. The Governor’s shrewd bright eyes came back to Richard.
    â€œSo who was it?” he asked.

CHAPTER 6
    T HE SHARP AGITATED TINKLE of ice against glass approached Myra. She was aware of Barton standing beside her, glasses on a small silver waiter. “That one is brandy. Miss,” he said.