“Ah, here is Carter, now,” Captain Hadley exclaimed, when the three detectives entered. “Here’s a fine mess, Nick, for fair. I have known live crooks to slip through the fingers of the police, but never a dead one. This is the first case on record.” “We have no precedent, then, to serve us as a guide,” Nick replied, smiling a bit grimly. “Is there any question, then, as to the theft of the body?” Herman Fink threw up his pudgy hands and exclaimed, before Chief Hadley could reply: “Mein Gott! Vot a question? Not der slightest, Mr. Carter, not der slightest. How can there be any question, Der pody is gone, stolen from my pack room, lugged out through der vindow. Come in and see for yourself. Der plinds----” “One moment,” Nick interposed, detaining him. “I will presently make an investigation. I understand, Doctor Nolan, that you were present when Margate’s body was brought here last night.” The physician bowed, looking inexpressibly annoyed over what had occurred and evidently feeling that he was in a measure responsible for it. “I was here, Mr. Carter,” he replied. “I remained until after Fink and his assistant had stripped the body and laid it out. It was nearly one o’clock, mind you, which was the only reason why I deferred sending it to the morgue until this morning. A thought of its being stolen did not enter my mind. I would not have believed it possible.” “In view of what has occurred, can you believe it possible that the man was not dead?” Nick asked, a bit dryly. “Not dead!” Doctor Nolan echoed, with a look of derision. “No, no, certainly not. That is absurd, Mr. Carter. I know that he was dead.” “You feel absolutely sure of it, eh?” “I certainly do, sir.” “Did you make any tests to verify your opinion?” “I did not,” Doctor Nolan declared, a bit brusquely. “No test was necessary. I can tell when a man is dead, Mr. Carter, without resorting to tests.” “Mein gracious!” Fink exclaimed, starting with a sort of ludicrous commiseration at the detective. “Vat an idea! Not tead--vy, vy, Mr. Carter, dot is der vorst I ever heard. I know der man vas tead.” Nick did not resent these positive assertions of both the physician and the undertaker. He knew much better than they, however, to what consummate trickery knaves of Margate’s caliber sometimes resort, and he was better informed than either of the ways and means that make it possible. “I infer, Mr. Fink, that the body was not embalmed, or you would have said so,” Nick replied. “No, sir, it was not,” Fink allowed. “At what time did you leave it laid out in your back room?” “It vas half past von when I vent up to ped.” “Do you reside over your business establishment?” “I do, Mr. Carter, mit my family and my assistant, Hans Grost. He came down at half past seven this morning and found der pody vas stolen. He----” “Who now has the vial, Chief Hadley, from which Margate took the supposed poison?” Nick cut in, turning to the police chief. “Doctor Nolan has it, I believe.”