“No; but that’s not so strange. I wasn’t interested in him.” “And you were in the girl?” “Yes, I was. She’s no right to be calling at a man’s apartment! I’d no thought of the man visitor, but I’d like to catch hold of that silly young thing and give her a talking to.” “Do you think she’d listen?” “I know she wouldn’t! But I’d like the satisfaction of giving her a piece of my mind!” “You may get it. I’m going to try to find her.” “Can you?” “I don’t know. Well, now, see here; we are assuming that Mr Gleason died at about quarter to seven. Do you think either or both of those people stayed as long as that?” “How on earth can I tell? I didn’t see them leave, you know.” “And you saw no one else enter?” “No.” “Nor heard any one?” “Not that I know of. After six o’clock, there’s more or less trafficking on the stairs anyway. The tenants come home, you know.” “Yes; now, you’re sure about these two, and that they came about five o’clock?” “I’m sure they came, but I can’t say certain about the time. It was quite some after five, but I’ve no idea just how much after.” Concluding he could learn no more from Miss Adams, Prescott went to Doctor Davenport’s office to interview Nurse Jordan. He found a calm, placid-faced woman, who, being interrogated, told the story just as the doctor had told it. “Describe the voice that came to you over the telephone,” said Prescott. “Well, it was gasping and faint—just what you would expect a man’s voice to be after he had been shot.” “Fatally shot?” “Of course not! But I heard it, and I know what he said. Now if he spoke, he must have been alive, and if he was alive, he hadn’t yet been fatally shot. Had he?” “Not likely. Then you assume the second shot was the fatal one?” “How can I, when the doctors say otherwise?” “What, then, do you think about it?” “I don’t know what to think. If any other nurse had taken that message I’d say she dreamed the thing. But I took it myself, and I know. The only possible explanation I can think of, is that the murderer stood there ready to shoot, but hadn’t yet fired. The victim somehow managed to get the telephone call——” “How could he? Why would the murderer let him?” “I don’t know, I’m sure. But, say the murderer threatened him, and say the victim made some plausible plea that made the murderer grant him a moment’s respite to telephone——” “Oh, I see. Or, say, the murderer was threatening Gleason’s life unless he telephoned a certain party—not the doctor. Then say, Gleason called this number as a last hope—and shouted that he was already shot, when he was merely anticipating the deed, and in his frenzy of fear, hoped that to tell the doctor that, would be to stay the murderer’s hand.”