Adventures of Martin Hewitt, Third SeriesMorrison, Arthur
General
Adventures of Martin Hewitt, Third Series
Morrison, Arthur
Detective and mystery stories, English; Private investigators -- England -- Fiction
efficient attention as he himself, who had nothing else to do. After
a while I put it to him plainly that it would at any rate have been
more prudent to have had the body at least inspected by some
independent doctor, considering the fact that he was likely to profit
so largely by young Rewse’s death, and I suggested that with an
exhumation order it might not be too late now, as a matter of justice
to himself. The effect of that convinced me. The man gasped and
turned blue with terror. It was a full minute, I should think, before
he could collect himself sufficiently to attempt to dissuade me from
doing what I had hinted at. He did so as soon as he could by every
argument he could think of--entreated me, in fact, almost
desperately. That decided me. I said that after what he had said, and
particularly in view of his whole manner and bearing, I should
insist, by every means in my power, on having the body properly
examined, and I went off at once to Cullanin to set the telegraph
going, and see whatever local authority might be proper. When I
returned in the afternoon Stanley Main had packed his bag and
vanished, and I have not heard nor seen anything of him since. I
stayed in the neighbourhood that day and the next, and left for
London in the evening. By the help of my solicitors proper
representations were made at the Home Office, and, especially in view
of Main’s flight, a prompt order was made for exhumation and medical
examination preliminary to an inquest. I am expecting to hear that
the disinterment has been effected to-day. What I want you to do, of
course, is chiefly to find Main. The Irish constabulary in that
district are fine big men, and no doubt most excellent in quelling a
faction fight or shutting up a shebeen, but I doubt their efficiency
in anything requiring much more finesse. Perhaps also you may be able
to find out something of the means by which the murder--it is plain
it is one--was committed. It is quite possible that Main may have
adopted some means to give the body the appearance, even to a medical
man, of death from small-pox.”
“That,” Hewitt said, “is scarcely likely, else, indeed, why did he
not take care that another doctor should see the body before the
burial? That would have secured him. But that is not a thing one can
deceive a doctor over. Of course in the circumstances exhumation is
desirable, but if the case _is_ one of small-pox, I don’t envy the
medical man who is to examine. At any rate the business is, I should
imagine, not likely to be a very long one, and I can take it in hand
at once. I will leave to-night for Ireland by the 6.30 train from
Euston.”
“Very good. I shall go over myself, of course. If anything comes to
my knowledge in the meanwhile, of course I’ll let you know.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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