"I laughed at the story. Why we'd scarcely ever exchanged a word in private. She wasn't my sort at all. Riever's attitude towards me hadn't changed in the least.
"Soon there was a complete bust-up of the Riever establishment. Nell sued him for divorce. She had cause enough God knows. His affairs were notorious. He set up a countersuit and produced a letter in court that Nell had written to some unnamed man. Ernest had intercepted it. Well this letter was published and I knew by internal evidence that it was ... well you know ... it had been written to me. A man hates to tell these things about himself! Poor girl! Just a foolish impulse no doubt, that she regretted as soon as she had given away to it! Anyhow the letter was thrown out and she got her divorce with thumping alimony."
Poor Pen was thinking to herself: "I wish I hadn't had to hear about this woman. I shall remember her!"
Don went on: "My name had not been mentioned openly, and Riever still came around the office. He still made out to treat me as an intimate friend, but that was just to put off the gossips. I began to be aware of a change. Once or twice I caught his eyes fixed on me with an expression that was simply poisonous!"
"Made me damned uncomfortable," said Don. "Not that I was afraid of him, poor little runt! But one hates to know that there are ugly feelings like that around. He got in the way of giving Dongan his orders. He and Dongan became quite thick."
"Did this have any effect on Mr. Dongan's attitude towards you?" asked Pen.
"Yes," said Don, "now that you speak of it; Dongan had been acting queerly towards me for some time past. Relations were a little strained. But I never gave it much thought."
"Would Mr. Dongan have consulted Mr. Riever about his speculations?" asked Pen.
"Sure! Any tip that Riever let drop would be received as gospel."
"Do you suppose Mr. Riever advised Mr. Dongan to buy it?"
"Scarcely. Scott Riever's on the Board of Union Central. He'd have inside information if anybody had."
"But suppose Mr. Riever purposely advised him wrong."
There was a silence while each was thinking hard.
"Wait a minute," said Don. "There's a flaw in your reasoning. How could Riever have known that Dongan was trying to put it off on me?"