a bit disturbing. “Our theory blows up completely, and you—”
“Old habit of theories,” said Chan. “Not the first to shatter in my countenance. Pardon me if I fail to experience thrill like you.”
“But what shall we do now?”
“What should we do? We hand over pearls. You have made foolish promise, which I heartily rebuked. Nothing to do but carry out.”
“And go away without learning what happened here! I don’t see how I can—”
“What is to be, will be. The words of the infinitely wise Kong Fu Tse—”
“But listen, Charlie—have you thought of this? Perhaps nothing happened. Maybe we’ve been on a false trail from the start—”
A little car came tearing down the road, and they heard it stop with a wild shriek of the brakes before the ranch. They hurried round the house. The moon was low and the scene in semi-darkness. A familiar figure alighted and without pausing to open the gate, leaped over it. Eden ran forward.
“Hello, Holley,” he said.
Holley turned suddenly.
“Good lord—you scared me. But you’re the man I’m looking for.” He was panting, obviously excited.
“What’s wrong?” Eden asked.
“I don’t know. But I’m worried. Paula Wendell—”
Eden’s heart sank. “What about Paula Wendell?”
“You haven’t heard from her—or seen her?”
“No, of course not.”
“Well, she never came back from the Petticoat Mine. It’
