way,” Tony ground out.
Suddenly he was aware that one of the cars he had heard on the road was now very close and slowing. He glanced down the long driveway, and saw it turning in at the entrance. With a quick rise of hope he wondered if it could be the Kozaks returning. Then caution told he couldn't take that chance. There were too many witch-hunters on the roads.
Tia was already on her feet, looking anxiously around for a place to hide. But beyond the open shed there was no spot near enough to reach without being seen.
“Get behind the crates,” said Tony. “Quick!”
They caught up their bags and crouched down behind a stack of crates, and hurriedly rearranged some of the other stacks around them. Between the crates they watched a white sedan roll quietly to a stop in the middle of the parking area.
Almost in slow motion, two men got out and stood poised in watchful silence on either side of the car. The slender and rather grim man in brown was Lucas Deranian. Today he looked more than ever like Father O'Day's archenemy, the devil.
* * *
After the trouble they had had, the shock of seeing Mr. Deranian was almost too much. How, Tony wondered incredulously, had the man ever discovered that Tia and he were coming here? It seemed impossible.
The other man, a pale and much heavier person in a rumpled gray suit, must be the one Tia had seen at the door of the mission. There was a look about him that Tony had always associated with detectives. Was he the Werner Karman who had called Ben Purdy from Washington?
The two men spoke in tones so low that ordinary ears could not have heard them.
Tight-lipped, the pale man said, “What do you think, Lucas?”
“Don't know yet. They could be here now—probably hiding in the house. If locks can't hold them…”
The pale man's eyes roved restlessly, taking in the shed, the outbuildings, and the closed windows of the house. His lips barely moved as he said, “When I asked about the Kozaks, I was told they'd been away for a week. You really think that priest would send those kids here, not knowing his friends were gone?”
“That has to be the answer. We were crowding him close the other morning. If we'd just found out earlier that he knew these people…Werner, you'd better search the house. Think you can get in?”
“I ought to have a master key that will make it. Keep your eye on the side door. I'll go in the front way.”
The man in brown nodded. “Watch it, Werner—you know what we're up against.”
The other said softly, “That's just it—I don't know. ”
“You know as much as the rest of us. We were warned to expect anything.”
“Yeah. But I wouldn't have dreamed…”
The pale man—he had to be Werner Karman—took a heavy bunch of keys from his pocket and moved quietly around to the front of the house. Lucas Deranian stood motionless by the car watching and listening. The minutes dragged by.
Finally the pale man returned, shaking his head. “No one's been in there for days, Lucas.”
“You checked the kitchen carefully?”
The other nodded. “And the cellar. No food has been touched.”
Lucas Deranian smiled grimly. “Then there's a possibility we got here ahead of them.”
“Maybe. But hold it a little longer. I'd better have a look at these other buildings.”
Tony chilled, and he felt Tia's small hand tremble on his arm. The pale man was striding straight toward them, his restless eyes roving over the stacks of crates. But the man paused only briefly and hurried on to the closed garage and storage buildings beyond.
Werner Karman was gone longer this time. When he came back he was almost running. “They're here somewhere,” he whispered tensely. “I found two apple cores back there. Fresh ones. The juice is still wet on them.”
“See any tracks?”
“Not in this gravel. And there's too much grass around the trees. They're not in the outbuildings—I checked them all first. They probably saw us coming and ran back into the
Suddenly he was aware that one of the cars he had heard on the road was now very close and slowing. He glanced down the long driveway, and saw it turning in at the entrance. With a quick rise of hope he wondered if it could be the Kozaks returning. Then caution told he couldn't take that chance. There were too many witch-hunters on the roads.
Tia was already on her feet, looking anxiously around for a place to hide. But beyond the open shed there was no spot near enough to reach without being seen.
“Get behind the crates,” said Tony. “Quick!”
They caught up their bags and crouched down behind a stack of crates, and hurriedly rearranged some of the other stacks around them. Between the crates they watched a white sedan roll quietly to a stop in the middle of the parking area.
Almost in slow motion, two men got out and stood poised in watchful silence on either side of the car. The slender and rather grim man in brown was Lucas Deranian. Today he looked more than ever like Father O'Day's archenemy, the devil.
* * *
After the trouble they had had, the shock of seeing Mr. Deranian was almost too much. How, Tony wondered incredulously, had the man ever discovered that Tia and he were coming here? It seemed impossible.
The other man, a pale and much heavier person in a rumpled gray suit, must be the one Tia had seen at the door of the mission. There was a look about him that Tony had always associated with detectives. Was he the Werner Karman who had called Ben Purdy from Washington?
The two men spoke in tones so low that ordinary ears could not have heard them.
Tight-lipped, the pale man said, “What do you think, Lucas?”
“Don't know yet. They could be here now—probably hiding in the house. If locks can't hold them…”
The pale man's eyes roved restlessly, taking in the shed, the outbuildings, and the closed windows of the house. His lips barely moved as he said, “When I asked about the Kozaks, I was told they'd been away for a week. You really think that priest would send those kids here, not knowing his friends were gone?”
“That has to be the answer. We were crowding him close the other morning. If we'd just found out earlier that he knew these people…Werner, you'd better search the house. Think you can get in?”
“I ought to have a master key that will make it. Keep your eye on the side door. I'll go in the front way.”
The man in brown nodded. “Watch it, Werner—you know what we're up against.”
The other said softly, “That's just it—I don't know. ”
“You know as much as the rest of us. We were warned to expect anything.”
“Yeah. But I wouldn't have dreamed…”
The pale man—he had to be Werner Karman—took a heavy bunch of keys from his pocket and moved quietly around to the front of the house. Lucas Deranian stood motionless by the car watching and listening. The minutes dragged by.
Finally the pale man returned, shaking his head. “No one's been in there for days, Lucas.”
“You checked the kitchen carefully?”
The other nodded. “And the cellar. No food has been touched.”
Lucas Deranian smiled grimly. “Then there's a possibility we got here ahead of them.”
“Maybe. But hold it a little longer. I'd better have a look at these other buildings.”
Tony chilled, and he felt Tia's small hand tremble on his arm. The pale man was striding straight toward them, his restless eyes roving over the stacks of crates. But the man paused only briefly and hurried on to the closed garage and storage buildings beyond.
Werner Karman was gone longer this time. When he came back he was almost running. “They're here somewhere,” he whispered tensely. “I found two apple cores back there. Fresh ones. The juice is still wet on them.”
“See any tracks?”
“Not in this gravel. And there's too much grass around the trees. They're not in the outbuildings—I checked them all first. They probably saw us coming and ran back into the
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