the red seal-第29部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！


'll　swing　for　it。〃

Rochester's　smile　was　exasperating　as　he　turned　to　Dr。　Stone。

〃Judging　from　Stone's　remarks　about　aconitine　…　which　I　overheard；〃　he　interpolated。　　〃I　gather　the　doctor　is　tolerably　familiar　with　the　action　of　the　drug。　　Does　aconitine　kill　instantly；　doctor？〃

Stone　cleared　his　throat　before　speaking。　　〃No；　the　fatal　period　averages　about　four　hours；〃　he　said；　and　Rochester's　eyes　sparkled　as　he　looked　up　at　the　detective。

〃Jimmie　died　almost　immediately　after　I　handed　him　that　drink　of　water；〃　he　declared。　　〃If　you　wish　to　know　who　administered　that　aconitine　poison；　you　will　have　to　find　out　who　Jimmie　was　with　at　the　McIntyre　house　in　the　early　hours　of　Tuesday　morning。〃

The　sharp　imperative　ring　of　the　telephone　bell　cut　the　silence　which　followed。　　Kent；　standing　nearest　the　instrument；　picked　it　up；　and　recognized　Sylvester's　voice　over　the　wire。

〃A　message　has　just　come；　Mr。　Kent；〃　he　called；　〃from　Mrs。　Brewster　saying　that　she　will　be　in　your　office　at　four　o'clock。〃


CHAPTER　XIX

THE　RED　SEAL　AGAIN

Harry　Kent　inserted　his　key　in　his　office　door　with　more　vigor　than　good　judgment；　and　spent　some　seconds　in　re…adjusting　it　in　the　lock。　　Once　inside　the　office　he　put　up　the　latch　and　closed　the　door。　　A　glance　around　the　empty　office　showed　him　that　Sylvester　had　obeyed　his　telephone　instructions　and　gone　out　to　luncheon。

Kent　noted　with　satisfaction　as　he　put　his　hat　and　cane　in　the　coat　closet　that　he　had　over　two　hours　before　Mrs。　Brewster's　expected　arrival；　ample　time　in　which　to　consider　in　quietude　the　events　of　the　past　few　days；　and　plan　for　his　interview　with　the　pretty　widow。　He　had　spent　the　time　between　Rochester's　sudden　reappearance　and　a　hastily　swallowed　lunch　at　a　downtown　caf　；　in　arranging　bail　for　Rochester。　　Ferguson　had　proved　obdurate　and　had　persisted　in　taking　the　lawyer　to　Police　Headquarters。

Dr。　Stone　had　accompanied　the　trio；　and　his　testimony；　supported　by　two　chemists；　regarding　the　time　required　for　aconitine　poison　to　act；　had　gone　far　to　weaken　the　detective's　case　against　Rochester。

Rochester；　to　Kent's　unbounded　astonishment；　had　appeared　indifferent　to　the　whole　proceedings；　and　to　his　partner's　urgent　inquiries　as　to　where　he　had　spent　the　past　four　days；　and　why　he　had　disappeared；　he　had　returned　one　invariable　answer。

〃I'll　explain　in　good　time；　Harry；〃　and　it　was　not　until　they　were　leaving　Police　Headquarters　that　his　apathy　vanished。

〃When　are　you　to　see　Mrs。　Brewster？〃　he　asked。

〃She　will　be　at　our　office　at　four　o'clock。　　Say；　Phil〃　…　but　Rochester；　shaking　off　his　detaining　hand；　darted　across　the　street　and　sprang　into　a　passing　taxi　bearing　the　sign；　〃For　Hire；〃　and　that　was　the　last　Kent　had　seen　of　his　elusive　partner。

Kent　dropped　into　his　chair　and　glanced　askance　at　the　mail　piled　in　neat　array　on　his　desk；　he　was　not　in　a　frame　of　mind　to　handle　routine　office　business。　　Other　clients　would　have　to　wait　until　later　in　the　day。　　A　memorandum　pad；　bearing　a　message　in　Sylvester's　precise　penmanship　attracted　his　wandering　attention　and　he　picked　it　up。

〃Mr。　Kent：〃　he　read。　　〃Colonel　McIntyre　called　just　after　I　talked　with　you　on　the　'phone；　he　waited　in　your　office　for　half　an　hour；　then　left；　stating　he　would　come　back。　　Miss　Barbara　McIntyre　called　immediately　afterwards；　but　would　not　wait　more　than　five　minutes。　Mr。　Clymer　came　as　she　was　going　out　and　left　a　note　on　your　desk。　I　will　return　soon。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃SYLVESTER。〃

Kent　laid　down　the　pad　and　picked　up　a　twisted　three…cornered　note　bearing　his　name　in　pencil。　　Unfolding　it；　he　scanned　the　hurriedly　written　lines：

〃Dear　Kent　…　McIntyre　telephoned　there　were　new　developments　in　the　Turnbull　affair。　　Will　be　back　later。〃Yours　…　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃B。　A。　CLYMER。〃

Kent　judged　from　the　use　of　his　initials　that　Clymer　was　stirred　out　of　his　ordinary　calm；　nothing　else　explained　his　failure　to　sign　his　full　name；　and　he　wondered　what　confidences　McIntyre　had　made　to　the　bank　president。

Tossing　down　the　note；　Kent　lighted　his　pipe；　tilted　back　in　his　swivel　chair；　and　reviewed　the　facts　which　implicated　Rochester　in　Jimmie　Turnbull's　murder。　　Rochester's　quarrels　with　Jimmie；　his　persistent　assertion　that　his　friend　had　died　from　angina　pectoris；　his　unexplained　disappearance　on　Tuesday　night；　the　fake　telegram　from　Cleveland　stating　he　was　there；　the　withdrawal　of　his　bank　deposits；　the　forged　checks；　his　mysterious　visits　to　his　own　apartment；　when　considered　together；　presented　a　chain　of　circumstantial　evidence　connecting　him　with　the　crime。　　But　in　the　light　of　Dr。　Stone's　testimony；　the　poison　〃could　not　have　been　administered　in　the　glass　of　water　Rochester　had　given　Jimmie　in　the　police　court。

Four　hours　at　least　had　to　elapse　before　the　fatal　dose　of　aconitine　could　take　effect　…　four　hours！　　Kent　told　them　off　on　his　fingers；　it　placed　the　crime　in　the　McIntyre　house。　　Which　one　of　its　inmates　administered　the　poison　to　Jimmie　and　how　had　it　been　done？　　What　motive　had　prompted　the　cashier's　murder？

It　was　preposterous　to　think　that　either　of　the　twins　was　guilty　of　the　crime。　　Helen's　devotion　to　Jimmie；　her　insistence　upon　an　autopsy　being　held　indicated　her　innocence。　　She　had　stated　at　the　inquest　that　she　had　not　known　the　burglar's　identity；　Kent　paused　as　the　thought　occurred　to　him　…　the　twins　had　swapped　identities　on　the　witness　stand；　and　therefore　Helen　had　not　been　called　upon　to　answer　that　question！　　To　the　best　of　his　recollection　she　had　only　been　asked　if　she　had　recognized　Jimmie　in　the　court　room　and　not　at　her　home。　　But　Helen　it　was　who　had　summoned　Officer　O'Ryan　on　discovering　the　burglar　and　had　him　arrested。　　She　surely　would　never　have　done　so　had　she　guessed　his　identity。

As　for　Barbara　McIntyre　…　Kent's　heart　beat　faster　at　thought　of　the　girl　he　loved　so　well。　　Circumstantial　evidence　had　seemed　for　a　time　to　involve　her　in　the　crime。　　Grimes'　outrageous　insinuation　that　he　had　been　assaulted　on　account　of　confiding　to　her　that　the　box　of　aconitine　pills　had　been　left　on　the　hall　table　where　any　one　could　get　them；　was　the　outcome　of　his　battered　condition。　　When　physical　strength　returned；　the　butler　would　forget　his　hallucinations。　　The　handkerchief　with　its　embroidered　letter　〃B；〃　used　by　Jimmie　to　inhale　the　fumes　from　his　amyl　nitrite　capsules；　was　finally　traced　to　its　rightful　owner　…　Mrs。　Brewster。

And　Mrs。　Brewster　was　due　in　his　office　within　a　very　short　time。　Kent's　square　jaw　became　more　pronounced；　she　should　not　leave　until　she　had　either　confessed　her　connection　with　Turnbull's　death；　or　established　her　innocence。　　Surely　it　would　be　easy　for　Mrs。　Brewster　to　do　so；　but　…　aconitine　had　been　prescribed　for　her；　she　was　familiar　with　the　poison；　she　had　it　at　hand；　she　went　to　the　police　court；　and　kept　her　trip　a　secret；　and　she　had　laughed　when　Jimmie　was　carried　dying　from　the　court　room。　　But　what　motive　could　have　inspired　her　to　murder　Jimmie？　　Was　he　an　old　lover　…　Kent；　unable　to　keep　quiet　any　longer；　rose　and　paced　up　and　down　the　office；　stopping　a　moment　to　glance　out　of　the　window。　　As　he　passed　the　safe　he　saw　the　door　was　ajar。　　Kent　paused　abruptly。　Who　had　opened　the　safe？

Crossing　to　the　outer　office　he　looked　around；　no　one　was　there。　It　flashed　into　Kent's　mind　that　he　had　seen　Rochester's　light　top　coat　and　walking　stick　in　the　coat　closet　as　he　hung　up　his　hat　on　his　arrival；　and　he　again　opened　the　closet　door。　　The　coat　and　stick　were　still　there；　so　Rochester　had　come　to　the　office　immediately　after　leaving　him；　and　carelessly　left　the　safe　open！　　Kent　smiled　in　spite　of　his　vexation；　the　act　was　typical　of　his　eccentric　partner。

Going　back　to　his　own　office　Kent　opened　the　safe　and　glanced　inside。　　The　pigeon　holes　and　compartments　appeared　untouched；　except　the　door　of　one　small　compartment　on　Rochester's　side。　　An　envelope　was　wedged　in　such　a　manner　that　the　small　door　would　not　shut　and　that　had　prevented　the　closing　of　the　outer　safe　door。

Kent；　preparatory　to　shutting　the　safe；　drew　out　the　envelope　intending　to　place　it　in　another　pigeon…hole　where　there　was　more　room。　　As　he　turned　the　envelope　over　he　was　thunderstruck　to　recognize　it　as　the　one　which　Helen　McIntyre　had　placed　in　the　safe　on　Wednesday　morning。　　He　had　last　seen　the　envelope　lying　on　the　table　in　the　smoking　porch　of　the　Club　de　Vingt；　from　whence　it　had　mysteriously　disappeared；　and　now　it　was　back　again　in　Rochester's　safe！

Had　it　ever　been　missing　from　the　safe？　　The　question　forced　itself　on　Kent　as　he　returned　to　his　chair；　envelope　in　hand；　and　sat　down　before　his　desk。　　He　had　accepted　Detective　Ferguson's　statement　that　he　had　removed　the　envelope　from　the　safe；　and　therefore　had　never　looked　in　the　compartment　where　Helen　had　put　it　to　verify　its　disappearance。

Ferguson　had　removed　it；　Kent　concluded　as　he　examined　the　envelope　with　more　care；　it　was　the　identical　one；　unaddressed；　with　the　same　red　seal　holding　down　the　flap。　　The　same　red　seal；　but　with　a　difference　…　a　corner　was　missing。

Kent　stared　at　the　seal　for　a　moment　in　doubt；　then　his　fingers　sought　his　vest　pocket　and　fumbled　about　for　a　minute。　　Taking　out　Mrs。　Brewster's　check；　he　laid　it　on　the　desk　alongside　the　envelope；　unfolded　it；　and　picked　out　a　piece　of　red　sealing　wax　which　had　slid　inside　the　check。　　Kent　placed　the　red　wax　on　the　broken　section　of　the　seal　…　it　fitted　exactly；　forming　a　perfect　letter　〃B。〃

Kent　sat　in　dumbfounded　silence；　regarding　the　red　seal　and　the　envelope。　　The　piece　of　wax　broken　off　from　the　seal　had　caught　on　his　coat　sleeve　when　he　had　been　in　the　Venetian　casket　in　the　library　at　the　McIntyre　house。　　It　was　proof　positive　that　not　only　he　had　been　in　the　casket；　but　the　sealed　envelope　also。　　Helen　McIntyre　had　left　the　envelope　in　his　care。　　Mrs。　Brewster　and　Colonel　McIntyre　had　both　been　present　when　the　envelope　was　stolen　from　him。　　Which　of　them　had　taken　it？　Which　one　had　afterwards　secreted　it　in　the　Venetian　casket？　　And　which　had　brought　it　back　to　the　safe　in　his　office？

Colonel　McIntyre　had　been　in　his　office　within　the　hour　…　the　question　was　answered；　and　Kent's　eyes　brighten