Did you close the door when you left the house
Did you close the door when you left the house?Scarlett looked seriously at the massive panels, as if trying to recall hisactionsReally, old man, I can' t remember, he answered "i was devilishly uet I may have shut the door.Vance tried the knob, and the door openedWell, well. The latch has been set anyway. Very careless on someone's part,, Is that unusual?Scarlett looked astonishedNever knew it to be unlatchedVance held up his hand, indicating that we were to remain in the vesti-bule, and stepped quietly inside to the steel door on the right leading tothe museum. We could see him open it gingerly but could not distin-guish what was beyond. He disappeared for a momentOh, Kyle's quite dead, he announced sombrely on his return. "Andpparently no one has discovered him yet. He cautiously reclosed thefront door. " We sha'n't take advantage of the latch being set, " he addedWe'll abide by the conventions and see who answers. Then he pressedthe bell-buttonA few moments later the door was opened by a cadaverous, chloroticman in butler's livery. He bowed perfunctorily to Scarlett, and coldly in-spected the rest of us.Brush, I believe. "It was Vance who spokeThe man bowed slightly without taking his eyes off of usIs Doctor bliss in?"Vance askedBrush shifted his gaze interrogatively to Scarlett. Receiving an assurg nod, he opened the door a little wider.Yes, sir, "he answered. He's in his study. who shall i say is calling?You needn't disturb him, Brush. Vance stepped into the entrancehall, and we followed him ."Has the doctor been in his study allmorningThe butler drew himself up and attempted to reprove Vance with alook of haughty indignation
Vance smiled, not unkindly.A.%."Your manner is quite correct, Brush. But we're not wanting lessons inquette. This is Mr. Markham, the District Attorney of New York; andvere here for information. Do you care to give it voluntarily?The man had caught sight of the uniformed officer at the foot of thene steps, and his face paled" You'll be doing the doctor a favor by answering, Scarlett put in.Doctor Bliss has been in his study since nine o' clock, the butlerreplied, in a tone of injured dignityHow can you be sure of that fact? "vance askedI brought him his breakfast there and I've been on this flooor eversinceHe pointed to a curtained door at the end of the wide corridor. s hallDoctor Bliss's study, interjected Scarlett,"is at the rear of thiHe should be able to hear us now remarked markhamNo, the door is padded, Scarlett explained. The study is his sanctumsanctorum: and no sounds can reach him from the house.9, The butler, his eye Brush. Vance's voice halted him. "Who else is inlike two glittering pin-points, had started tothe house at this time?The man turned, and when he answered it seemed to me that his voicequavered slightlyMr Hand is up-stairs. He has been indisposedOh, has he, now Vance took out his cigarette-case. " And the othermembers of the household?Mrs. Bliss went out about nine--to do some shopping,stood her to say--Mr Salveter left the house shortly afterward.She's in the kitchen below sirVance studied the butler appraisinglyYou need a tonic, Brush. A combination of iron, arsenic and strychnine would build you up.Yes, sir. Ive been thinking of consulting a doctor. . It's lack of freshaIr. sIr
Just so. Vance had selected one of his beloved Regies, and was lighting it with meticulous care. "By the by, Brush; what about Mr. Kyle? Hecalled here this morning, I understand.He's in the museum now ., I'd forgotten sir. Doctor bliss may beith himIndeed! And what time did Mr Kvle arrive?About ten o'clock.Did you admit him?Yes sirAnd did you notify doctor Bliss of his arrival?No, sir. Mr. Kyle told me not to disturb the doctor. He explained thathe was early for his appointment, and wished to look over some curiosin the museum for an hour or so. He said he'd knock on the doctorsstudy door laterAnd he went direct into the museum?Yes, sir-in fact, I opened the door for himVance drew luxuriously on his cigarette for a momentOne more thing, Brush. i note that the latch on the front door hasbeen set, so that any one from the outside could enter the house withoutringing.ea The man gave a slight start and, going quickly to the door, bent overnd inspected the lock.So it is, sir.. Very strange.Vance watched him closely." Why strange?Well, sir, it wasnt unlatched when mr. Kvle came at ten o clock. Ilooked at it specially when I let him in. He said he wished to be left alonein the museum and as members of the house sometimes leave the dooron the latch when they go out for a short time, I made sure that no onehad done so this moming. Otherwise they might have come in and dis-turbed Mr. Kyle without my waning them.But, Brush, interjected Scarlett excitedly: when I got here at half pastten the door was open-Vance made an admonitory gesture.That's all right, Scarlett. Then he turned back to the butler."Wheredid you go after admitting Mr. Kyle?
" Into the drawing-room. The man pointed to a large sliding door half-way down the hall on the left, at the foot of the stairs.And remained there till when?Till ten minutes agoDid you hear Mr Scarlett come in and go out the front door?"No, sir.. But then, i was using the vacuum cleaner. The noise of themotolQuite so. But if the vacuum cleaners motor was hummin,, how doyou know that Doctor Bliss did not leave his study?The drawing-room door was open, sir. Id have seen him if he cameouts But he might have gone into the museum and left the house by thefront door without your hearing him. Y know you didn 't hear Mr Scarlett enter" That would have been out of the question, sir. Doctor Bliss wore onlylight dressing-gown over his pyjamas. His clothes are all up-stairsery gouAnd now, one more question. Has the frontdoorbell rung since Mr. Kyle's arrival?No sirMaybe it rang and Dingle answered it.. That motor hum, don't ynowShe would have come up and told me, sir. She never answers thdoor in the moming. She's not in presentable habiliments till aftemoon.t quite characteristically feminine, Vance murmured.."That will beall for the present, Brush. You may go down-stairs and wait for our calAn accident has happened to Mr. Kyle, and we are going to look intoYou are to say nothing .. understand? His voice had suddenly becomestem and ominousBrush drew himself up with a quick intake of breath: he appeared pos-itively ill, and I almost expected him to faint. His face was like chalk.Certainly, sir-I understand. His words were articulated with greateffort. Then he walked away unsteadily and disappeared down the rearstairs to the left of doctor bliss's study doorVance spoke in a low voice to Markham, who immediately beckonedto the officer in the street below
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