The Riddle of the Purple EmperorHanshew, Thomas W.
General
The Riddle of the Purple Emperor
Hanshew, Thomas W.
Cleek, Hamilton (Fictitious character) -- Fiction; Detective and mystery stories
"No, my friend," said Cleek, quietly. "But there is in murder and when
it comes to killing your own brother--what's that? Oh, yes, it is. I
know the dead man now: Sam Blake, tipster and member of the Pentacle
Club. And you--you are James Blake, head of the Club, the biggest gang
of jewel thieves in the world!"
"It's a lie!" shrieked the man. "I am not. I did not kill him!"
"You did," flung back Cleek. "You killed him with a little white pellet
of prussic acid. I daresay--yes--they are----" His deft fingers felt in
one of the resisting man's pockets.
With a little gasp of triumph, he held up a small box, and opening the
lid, showed about a dozen white pellets similar to the fragment found in
the mouth of the dead man. His face grew tense and grim as he surveyed
them.
"See, here is the weapon," he said, "and if you want further proof, I
have it here in finger-prints. These are the official prints of James
Blake, and they correspond to the marks on the dead man's throat. One
more thing, the footprints----"
Diving into his pocket, Cleek produced the roll of papers over which
Dollops had taken such care.
"See," he said in sharp tones, "these are the marks of the footprints
which led direct from the body itself. These, too, are the footprints
which I found in Miss Jennifer Wynne's garden, at the foot of a certain
window. To make things more sure, I think you will find that this"--he
held up a scrap of gray tweed material--"is proof that this interesting
gentleman climbed up by means of the wistaria plant, and obtained the
prussic acid and magnesia from old Dr. Wynne's surgery."
A startled cry burst from the lips of the brother and sister, and their
eyes met with such a mutually significant look that a little smile crept
into Cleek's eyes for a moment. It so obviously explained the situation
between them; each had suspected the other, and each had wished to
shield the other.
Then Cleek turned his gaze back to the prisoner, who was a picture of
sullen dejection.
"There is one more overwhelming proof of my story," Cleek said, and
taking out his notebook, he scribbled something rapidly. Then detaching
a leaf, he continued, "If Mr. Narkom will fetch it and if I am right, I
do not think Mr. Coroner need hesitate any further."
Mr. Narkom gave but one glance at the scrap of paper in his hand, but
those standing near him heard his exclamation of astonishment. Then he
was gone, and attention was once more rivetted on Cleek's slim figure.
"You made a mistake, my friend, in drawing my attention to the gold
scarves last week for I knew that you lied in saying that you had given
Lady Margaret that scarf. It was her father's gift, not yours, so your
effort to draw a red herring across the path was a failure," continued
that gentleman as he peered into the face of the prisoner. "You made a
bigger one to-day in leaving off that seal ring which left its mark on
your brother's throat last week."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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