When I returned to the drawing-room, I found the coroner had already
arrived, 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 is
supposed to be part of the detective's stock in trade. I have often
wondered whether this imperturbability is not used quite as often to
cloak utter ignorance as to hide secret knowledge.
They had been in the house but a few moments, and Doctor Masterson was
making them acquainted with the main facts of the case. Young Lawrence
was assisting in the recital, but whether because of his natural
disinclination for gruesome subjects, or because of his relationship
with the dead man, he seemed unwilling to talk, and referred all
questions to Doctor Masterson.
I took a seat, and remained a mere listener; as I knew it was not yet
the time to tell of any discoveries I might have made.
But beyond a brief introduction by the aged doctor and a brief
acknowledgment of it by the coroner, little attention was paid to me,
and I listened with interest to Mr. Ross's pertinent questions and quick
decisions.
Being possessed of the facts of the case, and having learned all that
those present could tell him, the Coroner determined to hold a
preliminary inquest right then and there.
Although as a lawyer I have had more or less experience in these matters
it seemed to me an incredibly short space of time before a jury was
impanelled and the examination of witnesses begun.
There were but a half-dozen men on the jury, and these seemed to spring
up out of the very ground. As a matter of fact, Inspector Crawford had
gone out and brought some back with him, and others were summoned by
telephone.
A reporter also had materialized from somewhere, and was sharpening his
pencils 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 magic
of some evil fairy had transformed the luxurious drawing-room into a
Hall of Justice.
George Lawrence was sent across to bring Miss Pembroke back, and when
they 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 death
probable?"
"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 I
looked only for natural causes."
"Why did you call Doctor Post?"
"I didn't feel satisfied to trust my uncorroborated opinion, and desired
the advice of another physician."
"After you learned beyond all doubt that Mr. Pembroke had been wilfully
murdered, did you observe anything that might point toward a possible
criminal?"
"No, nothing at all. I found a key in the bed, which had doubtless
slipped from under the pillow. It seemed to be an especial key, as of a
box 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 in
the 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 or
keys. Doubtless his lawyer could tell you of these matters."
"Who is his lawyer, and why has he not been summoned?" said Mr. Ross. He
looked 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 heart
sank as I began to fear that she was deeply interested in the handsome
lawyer, and that her apparently adverse remarks concerning him had been
prompted by feminine pique.
The Coroner laid the key on the table before him, as if postponing its
further consideration and then called Doctor Post as a witness.
The young man, who had been again summoned from his office, gave his
testimony in a fussy, self-important sort of way.
His evidence agreed with all Doctor Masterson had said, and continued
thus:
"I felt, like Doctor Masterson, that the effects were not quite those of
apoplexy, 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 to
be the end of a long pin, which was so deeply imbedded as to be almost
invisible. It is not strange that Doctor Masterson should not have
discovered it, as it was completely covered by the long, thick white
hair of the head."
"This pin, you say, is a hat-pin?"
"A part of a hat-pin. It was evidently inserted while the victim was
asleep. It was then, either intentionally or accidentally, broken in
half. Owing to a peculiar tendency of human flesh, the pin was probably
drawn 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 of
cerebral hemorrhage, that was the gist of Doctor Post's evidence.
As the case was indisputably a murder, there being no possibility of
suicide, the next thing was to discover the criminal.
Coroner Ross went about his work in a most methodical and systematic
manner. His witnesses were called, sworn, questioned, and dismissed with
a despatch that amazed me.
The agent of The Hammersleigh, who also lived in the house, was examined
next.
"Your name?" asked the Coroner.
"James Whitaker."
"Your occupation?"
"I am agent and superintendent of The Hammersleigh. I live in an
apartment 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 a
colored woman. About three months ago, the nephew, Mr. Lawrence, moved
away."
"They have proved satisfactory as tenants?"
"Exceedingly so, with one exception. It was always difficult to collect
from 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 part
with his money."
"When did you see him last?"
"Yesterday afternoon. About two o'clock I came up here to ask him for
his rent which was overdue."
"He paid you?"
"Yes; he paid me with bills of large denomination, taken from a very
large roll of similar bills. He must have had about ten thousand dollars
in the roll."
I listened with great interest to this evidence. Surely that roll of
bills which Mr. Whitaker saw was the money noted on the memorandum I had
found.
"Were the bills in a rubber band, and was a slip of paper with them?" I
asked, for the inquest was conducted informally, and anyone spoke who
chose.
"Yes," replied Whitaker, looking at me with a glance that savored of
suspicion; "how did you know?"
I resented his manner, and then I suddenly remembered that I was but a
new tenant, and the agent was justified in his desire to question me.
"Mr. Landon will be examined later," said the Coroner, with his
authoritative air; "we will continue with the present witness. What can
you 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. He
never 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 and
honorable. Further than this I had no acquaintance with him. He was not
a man to invite acquaintance."
"He was of uncertain temper, I understand."
"Well, it could hardly be called uncertain." Mr. Whitaker smiled a
little. "On the contrary, his temper was certain to be bad. He was an
inveterate scold, and sometimes would fly into a most ungovernable rage
over nothing at all. But this was not my affair; he always paid his
rent,--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 as
cross as any man could be."
"What was he cross about?"
"Everything and nothing. He railed at the government, the weather, his
lawyer, his niece,--and in fact, spoke angrily upon any subject that was
mentioned between us."
"Then you can tell us nothing, Mr. Whitaker, that will throw any light
upon 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 the
night?"
"Into the house, yes. The front doors are open until midnight. Each
tenant is supposed to safeguard his own apartment."
"And you know of no questionable person who entered the house last
night?"
"Certainly not. I have no reason to notice those who come or go. The
elevator boy might tell you."
Mr. Whitaker was dismissed, and the elevator boy was sent for. He was
rather 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's
question; "but the fellers call me Solomon, cos I know mor'n they do. I
studies 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 himself
loose outen his own door; but I didn't mind his bein' canned, cos I knew
he couldn't pry himself loose from a tip, any way. So I never seen him
since the day he came; but gee, I've often heard him! Say, the
Mauretoonia's fog-horn ain't got nothin' on him! Tain't no silent
treatment he gives that niece of his'n! Nur that classy brunette
soivant, 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 been
shot in the eye wit' a magazine cover! An' she's as daisy actin' as she
is lookin'. I sure admire Miss Pembroke!"
This was not the kind of information Mr. Ross wanted, but young McGuire
rolled it forth so rapidly, and with such graphic facial expression that
his audience listened, uninterrupting.
"That's enough, McGuire," said Mr. Ross, sternly; "please confine your
speech to simple and direct answers to my questions."
"Sure," agreed the boy, grinning. "But I thought you wanted me to tell
you 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 house
last evening, or late last night, who was a stranger to you?"
"Well, no; I ain't seen no Rube divin' into my cage, wot looks
suspicionary. But then, you see, Mr. Coroner, I ain't on the night
shift. This week I goes off at six P. M. and toddles myself off to a
tremblin' 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 him
bally-hooin'! Every time I passed this floor, 'most, he wuz a handin' it
out to the young lady good an' plenty!"
McGuire was excused, and being loath to leave the room, he was
materially assisted by Inspector Crawford.
Though not an attractive specimen of his class, and though his evidence
was unimportant, he had at least helped to prove the irascibility of the
late Mr. Pembroke, and the fact that his ugly temper was often vented
upon his niece.
As I learned all this, I felt more than ever glad that Janet was at last
freed from this tyrant. Indeed, my attention was only half given to the
business in hand. My thoughts continually wandered to the girl who had,
all unconsciously, twined herself around my heart. I found myself
wondering where she would go when this was all over; how soon I could
cultivate her acquaintance; and if--in the future--I could at last win
her for my own. It was my first infatuation with any woman, and I gave
myself up to it unreservedly, while my soul thrilled with hopes of what
might some time be. To be sure, Miss Pembroke had not so much as glanced
at me with other than the most formal politeness, such as she might show
to any new acquaintance. But I would not let this discourage me. Because
it was love at first sight on my side was no reason why it should be on
hers, so I only determined to win her, if possible, and to be careful
that she should not yet discover my feelings toward herself.
From these rose-colored dreams I was suddenly recalled to the dreadful
realities of the occasion by hearing myself summoned as a witness.
I took the stand, hoping that some chance word or tone of my otherwise
unimportant evidence might at least convince Miss Pembroke of my
friendly interest in her and her affairs.