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battery. A woman over here on the terrace has been assaulted and battered—”
    “A woman? What woman?”
    “I’m telling you. Martha Cooper. Mrs. George Cooper. Miss Gladd’s sister. Do you know her?”
    “Certainly not! Never heard of her! What was she doing—”
    “Do you know her, Mr. Brager?”
    “No.” Brager looked more popeyed and flustered than ever. “And I assure you I did not assault her and batter her.”
    “Nobody said you did. But there she is. She’s lying on the terrace in front of an open window. The top of her skull is crushed in. On the window sill is a heavy brass candlestick, and it looks as if a corner of its base would fit the hole in her head, but I didn’t try it because the police are touchy about things like that, and also I didn’t have time. I wanted—”
    “You mean, she was hit with the candlestick?”
    “It’s a bet.”
    “Is she badly hurt?”
    “She’s dead.”
    Dundee’s jaw fell. “Good God.” He stood, looking foolish. “This is a fine situation,” he said somewhat inadequately. He looked at the paraphernalia on the desk, and at Brager. “You’dbetter get over there, Herman. I’ll lock up here and come along.”
    Brager arose, protesting, “The vats have to be cleaned—”
    “They can wait. Go ahead. Tell Ross I’ll be right over—”
    “Just a minute,” Hicks interposed. He spoke to Dundee. “I may detain you a little. I suggest that Mr. Brager ought to forget about your little display of temper a while ago when you arrived and found me here. As I remember it, it was like this: I was sitting here waiting to see Brager when you entered and said you wanted to speak with him privately, so I went outside to wait. Wasn’t that it? You see, Brager couldn’t tell the police what brought me here even if he wanted to, because he doesn’t know. But they’ll want me to tell them, and I guess I’ll have to. I’ll have to admit that you hired me, that I came out here on a confidential job for you—which they’ll have to ask you about, and you can tell them what you please.”
    Brager was regarding Dundee with an expression of mingled reproach and bewilderment, but the latter was looking not at him but at Hicks, thoughtfully and warily.
    “I don’t know,” said Hicks, “whether I’ve made it plain that that woman was murdered. And we’re all going to be put through the wringer and hung out to dry. My suggestion may be a little complicated, and if you don’t understand it—”
    “I understand it perfectly,” Dundee snapped. He turned to Brager. “Herman, this is going to be damned unpleasant. Please go over there. If you find the situation isn’t as Hicks describes it, phone me. If it is, I suppose you’d better notify the police—”
    “They’re already there,” Hicks said. “I took to the woods and waited till I saw them come.”
    “Good God.” Dundee looked from Hicks to Brager and repeated, “Good God. Herman, get over there. And please forget my display of temper when I found this man here. I wished to speak with you privately, and he went outside to wait. You understand.”
    Brager, slipping off his apron and dropping it on a chair, did not look happy. “I don’t understand at all,” he declared. “Not at all. But very well. And I am no good at taking charge of a murder. And the vats, as you know.…”
    They got him out. Hicks opened the door for him and closed it after him. Then he sat down and said:
    “All right, let’s have it. Where’s your proof that your wife sold your secrets to Vail?”
    Dundee looked at him with no friendliness. “So that’s it.”
    Hicks nodded. “That’s it. With no palaver. Unless you want the police trying to tie it up to a murder.”
    “It has nothing to do with a murder.”
    “That won’t keep them from trying.”
    “I know it won’t. If there was a murder. It’s incredible—”
    Hicks pointed to the phone. “Call up the house. Ask your son.”
    Dundee took the chair at the desk,