CHAPTER VII
ROGERS GETS A SHOCK
Grady, Simmonds and Goldberger examined the room minutely, for theyseemed to feel that the secret of the tragedy lay somewhere withinits four walls; but I watched them only absently, for I had lostinterest in the procedure. I was perfectly sure that they would findnothing in any way bearing upon the mystery. I heard Grady commentupon the fact that there was no door except the one opening into theante-room, and saw them examine the window-catches.
"Nobody could raise these windows without alarming the house," Gradysaid, and pointed to a tiny wire running along the woodwork. "There'sa burglar alarm."
Simmonds assented, and finally the trio returned to the ante-room.
"We'd like to look over the rest of the house," Grady said to Rogers,who was sitting erect again, looking more like himself, and the fourmen went out into the hall together. I remained behind with Hughesand Freylinghuisen. They had lifted the body to the couch and weremaking a careful examination of it. Heavy at heart, I sat down nearby and watched them.
That Philip Vantine should have been killed by enthusiasm for thehobby which had given him so much pleasure seemed the very irony offate, yet such I believed to be the case. To be sure, there werevarious incidents which seemed to conflict with such a theory, andthe theory itself seemed wild to the point of absurdity; but at leastit was a ray of light in what had been utter darkness. I turned itover and over in my mind, trying to fit into it the happenings of theday--I must confess with very poor success. Freylinghuisen's voicebrought me out of my reverie.
"The two cases are precisely alike," he was saying. "The symptoms areidentical. And I'm certain we shall find paralysis of the heart andspinal cord in this case, just as I did in the other. Both men werekilled by the same poison."
"Can you make a guess as to the nature of the poison?" Hughesinquired.
"Some variant of hydrocyanic acid, I fancy--the odour indicatesthat; but it must be about fifty times as deadly as hydrocyanic acidis."
They wandered away into a discussion of possible variants, sotechnical and be-sprinkled with abstruse words and formulae that Icould not follow them. Freylinghuisen, of course, had all this sortof thing at his fingers' ends--post-mortems were his every-dayoccupation, and no doubt he had been furbishing himself up, sincethis last one, in preparation for the inquest, where he wouldnaturally wish to shine. I could see that he enjoyed displaying hisknowledge before Hughes, who, although a family practitioner of highstanding, with an income greater than Freylinghuisen's many timesover, had no such expert knowledge of toxicology as a coroner'sphysician would naturally possess.
The two detectives and the coroner came back while the discussion wasstill in progress and listened in silence to Freylinghuisen'sstatement of the case. Grady's mahogany face told absolutely nothingof what was passing in his brain, but Simmonds was plainlybewildered. It was evident from his look that nothing had been foundto shed any light on the mystery; and now that his suicide theory hadfallen to pieces, he was completely at sea. So, I suspected, wasGrady, but he was too self-composed to betray it.
The coroner drew the two physicians aside and talked to them for afew moments in a low tone. Then he turned to Grady.
"Freylinghuisen thinks there is no necessity for a post-mortem," hesaid. "The symptoms are in every way identical with those of theother man who was killed here this afternoon. There can be noquestion that both of them died from the same cause. He is ready tomake his return to that effect."
"Very well," assented Grady. "The body can be turned over to therelatives, then."
"There aren't any relatives," I said; "at least, no near ones.Vantine was the last of this branch of the family. I happen to knowthat our firm has been named as his executors in his will, so, ifthere is no objection, I'll take charge of things."
"Very well, Mr. Lester," said Grady again; and then he looked at me."Do you know the provisions of the will?" he asked.
"I do."
"In the light of those provisions, do you know of any one who wouldhave an interest in Vantine's death?"
"I think I may tell you the provisions," I said, after a moment."With the exception of a few legacies to his servants, his wholefortune is left to the Metropolitan Museum of Art."
"You have been his attorney for some time?"
"We have been his legal advisers for many years."
"Have you ever learned that he had an enemy?"
"No," I answered instantly; "so far as I know, he had not an enemy onearth."
"He was never married, I believe?"
"No."
"Was he ever, to your knowledge, involved with a woman?"
"No," I said again. "I was astounded when I heard Rogers's story."
"So you can give us no hint as to this woman's identity?"
"I only wish I could!" I said, with fervour.
"Thank you, Mr. Lester," and Grady turned to Simmonds. "I don't seethat there is anything more we can do here," he added. "There's onething, though, Mr. Lester, I will have to ask you to do. That is tokeep all the servants here until after the inquest. If you thinkthere is any doubt of your ability to do that, we can, of course, putthem under arrest--"
"Oh, that isn't necessary," I broke in. "I will be responsible fortheir appearance at the inquest."
"I'll have to postpone it a day," said Goldberger. "I wantFreylinghuisen to make some tests to-morrow. Besides, we've got toidentify d'Aurelle, and these gentlemen seem to have their work cutout for them in finding this woman--"
Grady looked at Goldberger in a way which indicated that he thoughthe was talking too much, and the coroner stopped abruptly. A momentlater, all four men left the house.
Dr. Hughes lingered for a last word.
"The undertaker had better be called at once," he said. "It won't doto delay too long."
I knew what he meant. Already the face of the dead man was showingcertain ugly discolourations.
"I can send him around on my way home," he added, and I thanked himfor assuming this unpleasant duty.
As the door closed behind him, I heard a step on the stair, andturned to see Godfrey calmly descending.
"I came in a few minutes ago," he explained, in answer to my look,"and have been glancing around upstairs. Nothing there. How did ourfriend Grady get along?"
"Fairly well; but if he guesses anything, his face didn't show it."
"His face never shows anything, because there's nothing to show. Hehas cultivated that sibylline look until people think he's a wonder.But he's simply a stupid ignoramus."
"Oh, come, Godfrey," I protested, "you're prejudiced. He went rightto the point. Do you know Rogers's story?"
"About the woman? Certainly. Rogers told it to me before Gradyarrived."
"Well," I commented, "you didn't lose any time."
"I never do," he assented blandly. "And now I'm going to prove to youthat Grady is merely a stupid ignoramus. He has heard all theevidence, but does he know who that woman was?"
"Of course not," I said, and then I looked at him. "Do you mean thatyou do? Then I'm an ignoramus, too!"
"My dear Lester," protested Godfrey, "you are not a detective--that'snot your business; but it _is_ Grady's. At least, it is supposed tobe, and the safety of this city as a place of residence depends moreor less upon the truth of that assumption. On the strength of it, hehas been made deputy police commissioner, in charge of the detectivebureau."
"Then you mean that you _do_ know who she was?"
"I'm pretty sure I do--that is what I came back to prove. Where'sRogers?"
"I'll ring for him," I said, and did so, and presently he appeared.
"Did you ring, sir?" he asked.
He was still miserably nervous, but much more self-controlled than hehad been earlier in the evening.
"Yes," I said. "Mr. Godfrey wishes to speak to you."
It seemed to me that Rogers turned visibly paler; there was certainlyfear in the glance he turned upon my companion. But Godfrey smiledreassuringly.
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"We'd better give him his instructions about the reporters, firstthing, hadn't we, Lester?" he inquired.
"Which reporters?" I queried.
"All the others, of course. They will be storming this house, Rogers,before long. You will meet them at the door, you will refuse to admitone of them; you will tell them that there is nothing to be learnedhere, and that they must go to the police. Tell them thatCommissioner Grady himself is in charge of the case and will no doubtbe glad to talk to them. Is that right, Lester?"
"Yes, Ulysses," I agreed, smiling.
"And now," continued Godfrey, watching Rogers keenly, "I have aphotograph here that I want you to look at. Did you ever see thatperson before?" and he handed a print to Rogers.
The latter hesitated an instant, and then took the print with atrembling hand. Stark fear was in his eyes again; then slowly heraised the print to the light, glanced at it....
"Catch him, Lester!" Godfrey cried, and sprang forward.
For Rogers, clutching wildly at his collar, spun half around and fellwith a crash. Godfrey's arm broke the fall somewhat, but as for me, Iwas too dazed to move.
"Get some water, quick!" Godfrey commanded sharply, as Parks camerunning up. "Rogers has been taken ill."
And then, as Parks sped down the hall again, I saw Godfrey loosen thecollar of the unconscious man and begin to chafe his templesfiercely.
"I hope it isn't apoplexy," he muttered. "I oughtn't to have shockedhim like that."
At the words, I remembered; and, stooping, picked up the photographwhich had fluttered from Rogers's nerveless fingers. And then I, too,uttered a smothered exclamation as I gazed at the dark eyes, the fulllips, the oval face--the face which d'Aurelle had carried in hiswatch!