Detective and mystery stories; Journalists -- New York (State) -- New York -- Fiction
As Justice Higginbotham arose to answer the call, Antoine
Rochambeau spoke, his voice breaking to a faint croak:
"Jersey City is the home of Wrigley." The speaker was looking at
Professor Brierly with burning eyes, a hectic flush flaming in his
drawn cheeks. Professor Brierly looked at him sharply. He swiftly
stepped to his side, laying his hand soothingly on his shoulder.
The flush subsided, the man's tense body relaxed. He shook his
head mumbling.
Fourteen pairs of eyes were looking toward the doorway as Justice
Higginbotham once more returned, and came to an unconscious
dramatic pause. He nodded, as if in confirmation of a statement.
"Wrigley was drowned yesterday noon at Bradley Beach, a seaside
resort on the New Jersey coast about one mile south of Asbury
Park."
While he was talking, Jimmy heard the squealing of brakes on the
other side of the house. A motor car had come to a stop in front
of the camp.
The eyes of the entire group turned in that direction. At Justice
Higginbotham's announcement several of the men had stood up. They
now dropped back into their seats. There was a long pause. To
Jimmy it seemed that they all held their breath. The negro came to
the door, in his hand a sheaf of telegrams. His eyes swept over
the entire group.
He held them out to Justice Higginbotham who had stepped aside
from the doorway to make way for him.
"Telegrams for you all. They didn't phone, suh, 'cause you done
tole 'em not to phone no telegrams. De man am waitin' foh an
ansuh."
Justice Higginbotham selected one of the telegrams and ripped open
the flap. There was no change in his fine mobile features, but his
eyes were fixed on the message for a long time. He was brought to
himself by the negro.
"Am they any reply, Jedge?"
Justice Higginbotham, without raising his eyes from his message
said, gently:
"No, Charley, no reply." Turing to the rest of the group he said,
still gently: "My message is just the word 'fourteen,' that's all,
just 'fourteen.' The other messages are probably--but you'd better
look yourselves." He walked about the group and gave each of his
ten associates one of the envelopes. He then held out his message
to Professor Brierly. Jimmy saw the message. It bore the word,
'fourteen'; it had no signature.
Jimmy gripped the arms of his chair as he looked about the other
men on the porch. There was a rustling and tearing of paper as
flaps were ripped open. Some of them did it quickly, some of them
held their envelopes for a short time before opening them.
When the rustling ceased, Thomas Marshall stood up. He said grimly
to Professor Brierly:
"Here is your case, Professor, all complete. You've got it now
with all the trimmings."
Chapter IV
With John Fletcher, former Justice of the Supreme Court of the
State of New York, at one end of a telephone, official red tape
was quickly and effectively cut. Professor Herman Brierly was
given the powers and privileges necessary for an independent
investigation.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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