VI
THE INQUEST BEGINS
When I returned to the drawing-room, I found the coroner had alreadyarrived, accompanied by Inspector Crawford.
Mr. Ross, the coroner, looked like a capable, active man, while Mr.Crawford's face wore the blank and inscrutable expression which issupposed to be part of the detective's stock in trade. I have oftenwondered whether this imperturbability is not used quite as often tocloak utter ignorance as to hide secret knowledge.
They had been in the house but a few moments, and Doctor Masterson wasmaking them acquainted with the main facts of the case. Young Lawrencewas assisting in the recital, but whether because of his naturaldisinclination for gruesome subjects, or because of his relationshipwith the dead man, he seemed unwilling to talk, and referred allquestions to Doctor Masterson.
I took a seat, and remained a mere listener; as I knew it was not yetthe time to tell of any discoveries I might have made.
But beyond a brief introduction by the aged doctor and a briefacknowledgment of it by the coroner, little attention was paid to me,and I listened with interest to Mr. Ross's pertinent questions and quickdecisions.
Being possessed of the facts of the case, and having learned all thatthose present could tell him, the Coroner determined to hold apreliminary inquest right then and there.
Although as a lawyer I have had more or less experience in these mattersit seemed to me an incredibly short space of time before a jury wasimpanelled and the examination of witnesses begun.
There were but a half-dozen men on the jury, and these seemed to springup out of the very ground. As a matter of fact, Inspector Crawford hadgone out and brought some back with him, and others were summoned bytelephone.
A reporter also had materialized from somewhere, and was sharpening hispencils in a business-like way as he sat at a small table.
The whole assembly had an official effect, and it seemed as if the magicof some evil fairy had transformed the luxurious drawing-room into aHall of Justice.
George Lawrence was sent across to bring Miss Pembroke back, and whenthey came Laura accompanied them.
Doctor Masterson was called as the first witness.
He testified as to the manner and cause of Mr. Pembroke's death.
"Were you Mr. Pembroke's physician?" asked the coroner.
"Yes; I have attended him for twenty years."
"He had no ailments or symptoms that would make his sudden deathprobable?"
"None that I know of."
"Yet you thought at first that he died of apoplexy?"
"I did, because it seemed to be a case of cerebral hemorrhage, and Ilooked only for natural causes."
"Why did you call Doctor Post?"
"I didn't feel satisfied to trust my uncorroborated opinion, and desiredthe advice of another physician."
"After you learned beyond all doubt that Mr. Pembroke had been wilfullymurdered, did you observe anything that might point toward a possiblecriminal?"
"No, nothing at all. I found a key in the bed, which had doubtlessslipped from under the pillow. It seemed to be an especial key, as of abox or drawer."
"Where is the key?"
"I handed it to Mr. Landon for safe keeping."
At the request of the Coroner I produced the key, and gave it to him.He turned to Miss Pembroke.
"Was this key the property of your uncle?" he asked.
"I don't know," she replied; "it may have been."
"You have never seen it before, then?"
"Not to my knowledge. But my uncle has several boxes in the bank and inthe safe deposit company, and it may belong to one of them."
"Do you know anything of this key, Mr. Lawrence?" pursued the Coroner,turning to the young man.
"I know nothing whatever of my uncle's business affairs, or his boxes orkeys. Doubtless his lawyer could tell you of these matters."
"Who is his lawyer, and why has he not been summoned?" said Mr. Ross. Helooked at Miss Pembroke, as if she were the one in authority.
"We have sent for him," replied Miss Pembroke, "but he is out of town."As she spoke, the girl's cheeks flushed to a delicate pink, and my heartsank as I began to fear that she was deeply interested in the handsomelawyer, and that her apparently adverse remarks concerning him had beenprompted by feminine pique.
The Coroner laid the key on the table before him, as if postponing itsfurther consideration and then called Doctor Post as a witness.
The young man, who had been again summoned from his office, gave histestimony in a fussy, self-important sort of way.
His evidence agreed with all Doctor Masterson had said, and continuedthus:
"I felt, like Doctor Masterson, that the effects were not quite those ofapoplexy, and so made a thorough examination for other causes of death.At the base of the brain I discovered a small black speck. It proved tobe the end of a long pin, which was so deeply imbedded as to be almostinvisible. It is not strange that Doctor Masterson should not havediscovered it, as it was completely covered by the long, thick whitehair of the head."
"This pin, you say, is a hat-pin?"
"A part of a hat-pin. It was evidently inserted while the victim wasasleep. It was then, either intentionally or accidentally, broken inhalf. Owing to a peculiar tendency of human flesh, the pin was probablydrawn in a trifle deeper than when left there by the criminal's hand,and thus almost disappeared from view."
"And it was this stab of a pin that caused death?"
"Undoubtedly--and immediately."
Except for a few technical points regarding the cause and effect ofcerebral hemorrhage, that was the gist of Doctor Post's evidence.
As the case was indisputably a murder, there being no possibility ofsuicide, the next thing was to discover the criminal.
Coroner Ross went about his work in a most methodical and systematicmanner. His witnesses were called, sworn, questioned, and dismissed witha despatch that amazed me.
The agent of The Hammersleigh, who also lived in the house, was examinednext.
"Your name?" asked the Coroner.
"James Whitaker."
"Your occupation?"
"I am agent and superintendent of The Hammersleigh. I live in anapartment on the first floor."
"How long have you had Robert Pembroke as a tenant?"
"Mr. Pembroke has occupied this apartment for three years."
"Of how many members did the family consist?"
"Until about three months ago, there were three in the family. Mr.Pembroke, his niece and nephew. Also, one servant was kept, usually acolored woman. About three months ago, the nephew, Mr. Lawrence, movedaway."
"They have proved satisfactory as tenants?"
"Exceedingly so, with one exception. It was always difficult to collectfrom Mr. Pembroke the money due for his rent."
"He was not a poor man?"
"Quite the contrary. He was a very wealthy man, but he hated to partwith his money."
"When did you see him last?"
"Yesterday afternoon. About two o'clock I came up here to ask him forhis rent which was overdue."
"He paid you?"
"Yes; he paid me with bills of large denomination, taken from a verylarge roll of similar bills. He must have had about ten thousand dollarsin the roll."
I listened with great interest to this evidence. Surely that roll ofbills which Mr. Whitaker saw was the money noted on the memorandum I hadfound.
"Were the bills in a rubber band, and was a slip of paper with them?" Iasked, for the inquest was conducted informally, and anyone spoke whochose.
"Yes," replied Whitaker, looking at me with a glance that savored ofsuspicion; "how did you know?"
I resented his manner, and then I suddenly remembered that I was but anew tenant, and the agent was justified in his desire to question me.
"Mr. Landon will be examined later," said the Coroner, with hisauthoritative air; "we will continue with the present witness. What canyou say, Mr. Whitaker, of the general character of Mr. Pembroke?"
/>
"I know little of him. As a tenant he made me no trouble at all. Henever complained to me of the apartment, the management or the service.As a business man, I have no reason to think him other than upright andhonorable. Further than this I had no acquaintance with him. He was nota man to invite acquaintance."
"He was of uncertain temper, I understand."
"Well, it could hardly be called uncertain." Mr. Whitaker smiled alittle. "On the contrary, his temper was certain to be bad. He was aninveterate scold, and sometimes would fly into a most ungovernable rageover nothing at all. But this was not my affair; he always paid hisrent,--though only under protest, and after numerous requests."
"When you saw him yesterday, was he ill-tempered?"
"Very much so. I would say unusually so, except that he was usually ascross as any man could be."
"What was he cross about?"
"Everything and nothing. He railed at the government, the weather, hislawyer, his niece,--and in fact, spoke angrily upon any subject that wasmentioned between us."
"Then you can tell us nothing, Mr. Whitaker, that will throw any lightupon the crime that has been committed in your house?"
"Nothing at all."
"Would it be possible for a marauder or intruder to get in during thenight?"
"Into the house, yes. The front doors are open until midnight. Eachtenant is supposed to safeguard his own apartment."
"And you know of no questionable person who entered the house lastnight?"
"Certainly not. I have no reason to notice those who come or go. Theelevator boy might tell you."
Mr. Whitaker was dismissed, and the elevator boy was sent for. He wasrather a clever-looking young fellow of about seventeen, and his face,though impudent, was shrewd and intelligent.
"Samuel McGuire, me name is," he announced, in response to the Coroner'squestion; "but the fellers call me Solomon, cos I know mor'n they do. Istudies and reads every chance I gets, and they jes' loafs 'round."
"Well, Samuel, what can you tell us of Mr. Pembroke?"
"Nuttin good. But then they ain't much to tell. He never trun himselfloose outen his own door; but I didn't mind his bein' canned, cos I knewhe couldn't pry himself loose from a tip, any way. So I never seen himsince the day he came; but gee, I've often heard him! Say, theMauretoonia's fog-horn ain't got nothin' on him! Tain't no silenttreatment he gives that niece of his'n! Nur that classy brunettesoivant, neither!"
"He was not even kindly-spoken to his niece, then?"
"I guess no! Gee, the foist time I seen that skoit, I t'ought I'd beenshot in the eye wit' a magazine cover! An' she's as daisy actin' as sheis lookin'. I sure admire Miss Pembroke!"
This was not the kind of information Mr. Ross wanted, but young McGuirerolled it forth so rapidly, and with such graphic facial expression thathis audience listened, uninterrupting.
"That's enough, McGuire," said Mr. Ross, sternly; "please confine yourspeech to simple and direct answers to my questions."
"Sure," agreed the boy, grinning. "But I thought you wanted me to tellyou all what I was wise to of the family's doin's."
"What I want to know especially, is, whether any one came into the houselast evening, or late last night, who was a stranger to you?"
"Well, no; I ain't seen no Rube divin' into my cage, wot lookssuspicionary. But then, you see, Mr. Coroner, I ain't on the nightshift. This week I goes off at six P. M. and toddles myself off to atremblin' scenery show."
"Then you're not the elevator boy we want, at all," said Mr. Ross,greatly annoyed at this loss of time.
"Be-lieve me, I ain't! But I'm glad to add it against brother Pembroke.He never left his rooms, but, gee! he didn't have to, fer me to hear himbally-hooin'! Every time I passed this floor, 'most, he wuz a handin' itout to the young lady good an' plenty!"
McGuire was excused, and being loath to leave the room, he wasmaterially assisted by Inspector Crawford.
Though not an attractive specimen of his class, and though his evidencewas unimportant, he had at least helped to prove the irascibility of thelate Mr. Pembroke, and the fact that his ugly temper was often ventedupon his niece.
As I learned all this, I felt more than ever glad that Janet was at lastfreed from this tyrant. Indeed, my attention was only half given to thebusiness in hand. My thoughts continually wandered to the girl who had,all unconsciously, twined herself around my heart. I found myselfwondering where she would go when this was all over; how soon I couldcultivate her acquaintance; and if--in the future--I could at last winher for my own. It was my first infatuation with any woman, and I gavemyself up to it unreservedly, while my soul thrilled with hopes of whatmight some time be. To be sure, Miss Pembroke had not so much as glancedat me with other than the most formal politeness, such as she might showto any new acquaintance. But I would not let this discourage me. Becauseit was love at first sight on my side was no reason why it should be onhers, so I only determined to win her, if possible, and to be carefulthat she should not yet discover my feelings toward herself.
From these rose-colored dreams I was suddenly recalled to the dreadfulrealities of the occasion by hearing myself summoned as a witness.
I took the stand, hoping that some chance word or tone of my otherwiseunimportant evidence might at least convince Miss Pembroke of myfriendly interest in her and her affairs.