“You saw Derek?”
“I did. He said a lot of things, most of which were darned cheek. Just as he was leaving, he said something that I didn’t understand. He advised me to be sure that there was perfect frankness between father and daughter. What did he mean by that, Ruthie?”
Mrs. Kettering moved a little in her chair.
“I—I don’t know, Dad. How should I?”
“Of course you know,” said Van Aldin. “He said something else, about his having his friends and not interfering with yours. What did he mean by that?”
“I don’t know,” said Ruth Kettering again.
Van Aldin sat down. His mouth set itself in a grim line.
“See here, Ruth. I am not going into this with my eyes closed. I am not at all sure that that husband of yours doesn’t mean to make trouble. Now, he can’t do it, I am sure of that. I have got the means to silence him, to shut his mouth for good and all, but I have got to know if there’s any need to use those means. What did he mean by your having your own friends?”
Mrs. Kettering shrugged her shoulders.
“I have got lots of friends,” she said uncertainly. “I don’t know what he meant, I am sure.”
“You do,” said Van Aldin.
He was speaking now as he might have spoken to a business adversary.
“I will put it plainer. Who is the man?”