"
The Boss smiled sardonically and Red grinned. Only the red-faced lawyer
shuffled his feet uneasily and looked from one to another of his
companions with an expression of pleading. But the rival came directly
to the point.
"Where's that high and mighty brother of yours?" he demanded.
"Mr. Ralestone will doubtless be very glad to see you," Val evaded,
having no desire for the visitors to discover just how slender his
resources were. "Jeems, you might go and tell him that we have visitors.
Go through the Long Hall, it's nearer that way." He dug the fingernails
of his sound hand into the soft wood of the chair arm. Could Jeems
interpret that hint? Someone must remove and hide the Luck before these
men saw it.
"Right." The swamper turned on his heel and padded toward the French
windows.
"No, you don't!" the rival snarled as he moved into line between Jeems
and his objective. "When we want that guy, we'll hunt him out ourselves.
When we're good and ready!"
"If you don't wish to see my brother, just why did you come?" Val asked
feverishly. He must keep them talking there until he had time to think
of some way of getting that slender blade of steel into hiding.
"We're movin' in," Red answered casually for them all.
"How interesting. I think that the police will enjoy hearing that," Val
commented.
"It's perfectly legal," bleated the lawyer. "We possess a court order to
view the place with the purpose of appraising it for sale.
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