Henry Sampson, for once an intelligent District Attorney. Charles Michaels, the fly—or the spider? Mrs. Angela Russo, a lady of reputation. Timothy Cronin, a legal ferret. Arthur Stoates, another. Oscar Lewin, the Charon of the dead man’s office. Franklin Ives-Pope. If wealth meant happiness— Mrs. Franklin Ives-Pope, a maternal ♦hypochondriac. Mrs. Phillips. Middle-aged angels have their uses. Dr. Thaddeus Jones, toxicologist of the City of New York. Edmund Crewe, architectural expert attached to the Detective Bureau. Djuna, an Admirable Crichton of a new species. The Problem Is— Who Killed Monte Field? Meet the astute gentlemen whose business it is to discover such things— Mr. Richard Queen Mr. Ellery Queen ♦ “hypochrondiac” replaced with “hypochondriac” Explanation for the MAP OF THE ROMAN THEATRE A: Actors’ dressing-rooms. B: Frances Ives-Pope’s seat. C: Benjamin Morgan’s seat. D: Aisle-seats occupied by “Parson Johnny” Cazzanelli and Madge O’Connell. E: Dr. Stuttgard’s seat. F, F: Orangeade boys’ stands (only during intermissions). G: Area in vicinity of crime. Black square represents seat occupied by Monte Field. Three white squares to the right and four white squares directly in front represent vacant seats. H: Publicity office, occupied by Harry Neilson. I: Manager Louis Panzer’s private office. J: Anteroom to manager’s office. K: Ticket-taker’s box. L: Only stairway leading to the balcony. M: Stairway leading downstairs to General Lounge. N, N: Cashiers’ offices. O: Property Room. P: William Pusak’s seat. Q, Q: Orchestra boxes. [Illustration: Map of the Roman Theatre Drawn by Ellery Queen] PART ONE _“The policeman must oft follow the precept of the ‘bakadori’—those fool-birds who, though they know disaster awaits them at the hands and clubs of the beach-combers, brave ignominious death to bury their eggs in the sandy shore.... So the policeman. All Nippon should not deter him from hatching the egg of thoroughness.”_ —_From_ A Thousand Leaves, _By_ Tamaka Hiero. CHAPTER I IN WHICH ARE INTRODUCED A THEATRE-AUDIENCE AND A CORPSE The dramatic season of 192- began in a disconcerting manner. Eugene O’Neill had neglected to write a new play in time to secure the financial encouragement of the _intelligentzia_; and as for the “low-brows,” having attended play after play without enthusiasm, they had deserted the legitimate theatre for the more ingenuous delights of the motion picture palaces.