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〃I'm sure we'll be practically helpless without you；〃 Robles called after him sarcastically。
VI。 Black Alibi
Manning at sight suspected some of the luggage of being hers when he stepped into the Inglaterra from the street。 It was in the center of the tiled patio； and a glimpse of a red 〃M K〃 on the corner of one of the pieces confirmed his suspicion。 There seemed to be； however； an unusual amount of it； and more was being added to it every time the creaking lift came down。
He went over to the desk。 〃Is that the americana； the one whose friend…？〃
〃She and everyone else； seсor；〃 the clerk said dolefully。 〃We are being emptied like the…how you say？…epidemic is here。 Twenty…three rooms in last two hours…〃
Manning was only interested in one of the twenty…three check…outs。 〃Hpw soon is she leaving； do you know？〃
〃She take the Santa Emilia from Val； on Tuesday。〃 He shrugged pessimistically。 〃She cannot be blamed； seсor； no？〃
〃No；〃 Manning agreed； lowering his head； 〃she cannot be blamed。 I guess I'd go； too。〃 He took out a cigarette； looked down at it thoughtfully without using it。 Then he looked up again。 〃I wonder if she'll see me。〃
〃I try； seсor。 Whose name shall I say？〃
She probably wouldn't remember his name； from amidst all that horror the other night。 She wouldn't have salvaged it。 He gave it anyway。
〃Mees Keeng； is Mister Manning here to see ju。〃 The clerk nodded。 〃The twenty…four； seсor； on secon' floor。〃
Manning took the stairs。 The lift was still busy disgorging luggage at every down trip。 As the clerk had said； there seemed to be a mass exodus on。
In fact； as he passed the open transom of a door on the second…floor corridor； he overheard an unmistakably American voice； feminine； saying to someone： 〃I don't care； Harvey Williams； business deal or no business deal； I will not spend another night in this city with that thing prowling around loose！ You can sign those papers just as well down on the coast while we're waiting for the ship to sail…〃
Yes； the panic was on。
Manning knocked on 24。 Her voice said； 〃e in。〃
She was in the middle of finishing packing her smaller pieces； the hand luggage。 Three or four of them were ranged around her。 She was in a white corduroy wrapper； tiny at the waist； spreading at the floor。 She looked as though she hadn't slept since that night； and he glimpsed several small bottles of nerve tablets or sedative ranged on the stand beside her bed。
Pallor and the darkness about her eyes only made her more beautiful。 You had to be as young as she； he told himself； to suffer and still turn out looking beautiful。 When you got to be a few years older； and suffered； it just made you haggard。
The first thought that crossed his mind； before he'd even opened his mouth to her； was： 〃What made me e here？ I had no right to。 I should have stayed away and let her alone。〃
〃You don't remember me；〃 he said tactfully。 〃I'm the fellow…well； I was with them the other night。〃
〃Oh；〃 she said。 Even the recollection still made her wince。 〃I thought it was somebody from the Express； about my reservation and tickets。 No；〃 she admitted； 〃I don't remember you。〃
〃I really had no right to intrude like this；〃 he murmured tactfully。
〃No； it's all right。 I'm all alone here and…it's nice to have someone to talk to in your own language。〃 She was not only sincere； she was almost pathetically grateful。 〃I was in bed all day yesterday。 I only got up today because I had to…to plete the necessary arrangements for poor Sally。〃 Her voice shook a little when she pronounced the name。 〃Sit down； Mr。 Manning。〃 She removed a small fitted toilet case from the seat of a chair。
〃Won't I be in your way？〃
〃Most of my heavy packing is finished。 I'm taking the night train down； that doesn't leave until ten； I understand。 There's plenty of time…as long as I make sure I get out of this place。〃 A look of unspeakable revulsion flitted across her face。 〃As long as I make sure I get out of this place！〃 Her intensity made her almost wild…eyed。
〃I can understand how you feel；〃 he said sympathetically。
〃It's been pretty bad；〃 she went on in a more posed voice； sitting down and crossing her knees； but then robbing the attitude of all repose by plucking incessantly at the fabric of her white robe just over her kneecap。 〃I had all her things to put away。 I could see imaginary rips and tatters on every…〃 She bit her lip； forbore going ahead。
He was acutely unfortable； as men always are in the presence of feminine emotion。
〃And the trip up isn't going to be easy either。 It's the same ship we came down on together and…well you know how it is。〃
He supposed not； he said almost inaudibly。 He felt as though he had six hands and feet。
〃She'd looked forward so to this vacation；〃 she went on after a moment's quiet。 〃The last few weeks； before we left； she kept ing over to my house nearly every other night； to show me some latest addition she'd made to her wardrobe； to plan some new detail。 She was even taking Spanish lessons； at the end。 And to have it end like this！〃
He thought maybe it was better for her to get it all out of her system instead of keeping it pent up； didn't try to change the subject。
〃We've lived next door to each other ever since we were a pair of knock…kneed little brats with braces on our teeth。 Went to school together； went to dances together。 Her poor mother's waiting up there now。 And I've got to go back and face her。 Bring her back in a box。〃 She did something to her shapely eyebrows with the fingers of one hand。
〃Have you cabled？〃 he asked gently。
〃Yes。 I had to； of course。 I didn't say what it was。 I couldn't bring myself to。 Not on teletype strips。〃 She halted； went on thoughtfully： 〃There's something so unspeakable about what it really was。〃
If you only knew； he concurred unheard。
〃I let them think pneumonia。 Now when I do get back； that's another thing I'll have to tell them。〃 Her voice trailed off； and in the silence he got up to go。
He really intended going without a word； without broaching what had been on his mind when he came here。 Then unexpectedly； as he was already at the door； she gave him the opening he had no longer been seeking。 〃They haven't caught it yet； have they？〃 she asked。
〃No； they haven't；〃 he answered； turning and looking square at her。 〃And they won't。〃
〃Why do you say that？〃
〃Because； Miss King； it's not a jaguar；〃 he told her quietly。
She stared at him； intently for a long moment。 He could see her already wan face paling still more； before his very eyes； as his meaning sank in with terrible slowness。
〃Oh no；〃 she grimaced sickly at last； drawing the back of her hand across her lips； 〃I couldn't bear that thought。 If anything can make it worse than it was already…that does。〃
〃Shall I go ahead； or would you rather I didn't？〃
But the question was superfluous； he could see the damage was done already。 She just kept staring at him in a frozen； furrowed horror。 If he shut up now； he'd leave her with that anyway。
He lowered his voice。 〃It's a man。 No one else in Ciudad Real believes that but me； but I do。 I say it now； and I'll keep on saying it…anytime； anyplace； anywhere。 It had already happened three times before the other night。 I don't know whether you know that or not； they may have tried to keep it from visitors because of the tourist season。 But it's mon knowledge among us here。〃
〃I remember now； the clerk downstairs tried to warn us that night。 But in a veiled way； without ing out openly with what he meant…〃
〃Do you think you can stand it if I…？〃
〃Yes； I think I want you to。〃
By the time he had finished； he had marshaled every argument for her benefit that he had ever presented to Robles at any time； from beginning to end； every detail； every piece of evidence。
〃I'm sure I'm right； I've got to be！〃 he said； slapping his own thigh fiercely。 〃But I can't get them to listen to me。 They're as sure on their side as I am on mine。 And they're the police and I'm just…a loose guy。〃
She took a deep； shuddering breath。 She'd stood it well。 Even better than he'd expected her to。 Perhaps because it had been presented to her objectively； and not introspectively。 There was horror in her eyes； but something else as well； a glint of something steely that hadn't been there before。 Call it hatred； call it fury。 You don't hate irrational animals。
He couldn't tell whether he'd convinced her or not。 She didn't answer for a moment or two。 Finally she said in a muffled voice； 〃To think that a human being； a thing calling itself a man…〃 And that was the answer； there。
He strode over to the open floor…length windows that Sally had stood looking out of only two nights before at this same time。 The city sprang to view below； bejeweled with twinkling lights。 Silver talcum seemed to blur the long vistas of the main avenues； and the cathedral reared its graceful twin turrets black against the rising apricot moon ing up over the hills。
〃Pretty to look at； isn't it？〃 he said； turning to her。 〃But out there on one of those lovely streets you see from here； some young girl is go