Detective and mystery stories; Stone, Fleming (Fictitious character) -- Fiction
“I’ve found out what killed Mr. Embury,” he said, in his quiet
fashion.
“What?” cried the Examiner and Shane, at the same time.
“Can’t tell you--just yet. I’ll have to go out on an errand. Stay
here--all of you--till I get back.”
The dapper little figure disappeared through the hall door, and Shane
turned back to the group with a grunt of satisfaction.
“That’s Driscoll, all over,” he said. “Put him on a case, and
he don’t say much, and he don’t look like he’s doing anything, and
then all in a minute he’ll bring in the goods.”
“I’d be glad to hear the cause of that death,” said Dr. Crowell,
musingly. “I’m an old, experienced practitioner, and I’ve never
seen anything so mysterious. There’s absolutely no trace of any
poison, and yet it can be nothing else.”
“Poison’s a mighty sly proposition,” observed Shane. “A clever
poisoner can put over a big thing.”
“Perhaps your assumption of murder is premature,” said Hendricks,
and he gave Shane a sharp look.
“Maybe,” and that worthy nodded his head. “But I’m still
standing pat. Now, here’s the proposition. Three people, locked into
a suite--you may say--of three rooms. No way of getting in from this
side--those locks are heavy brass snap-catches that can’t be worked
from outside. No way, either, of getting in at the windows. Tenth-story
apartment, and the windows look straight down to the ground, no
balconies or anything like that. Unless an aryoplane let off its
passengers, nobody could get in the windows. Well, then, we have those
three people shut up alone there all night. In the morning one of ‘em
is dead--poisoned. What’s the answer?”
He stared at Eunice as he talked. It was quite evident he meant to
frighten her--almost to accuse her.
But with her strange contradictoriness, she smiled at him.
“You have stated a problem, Mr. Shane, to which there can be no
answer. Therefore, that is not the problem that confronts us.”
“Fine talk--fine talk, lady, but it won’t get you anywhere. To the
unbiased, logical mind, the answer must be that it’s the work of the
other two people.”
“Then yours is not a logical or unbiased mind,” Hendricks flared
out, “and I object to your making implications. If you are making
accusations, do so frankly, and let us know where we stand! If not, shut
up!”
Shane merely looked at him, without resenting this speech. The detective
appeared to be marking time as he awaited the return of his partner.
And Driscoll returned, shortly. His manner betokened success in his
quest, whatever it may have been, and yet he looked distressed, too.
“It’s a queer thing,” he said, half to himself, as he fell into a
chair Shane pushed toward him. “Mrs. Embury, do you keep an engagement
book?”
“Why, yes,” replied Eunice, amazed at the question put to her.
“Let me see it, please.”
Eunice went for it, and, returning, handed the detective a finely bound
volume.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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