Part 41 (2/2)
x.x.xI
PHYSOSTIGMIN
The first drug store we found was unable to supply us. At a second we had better luck. All in all, we were back at the Manton Pictures plant in a relatively few minutes, a remarkable bit of driving on the part of the district attorney.
s.h.i.+rley was still in the set. Kennedy at once administered the physostigmin, I thought with an air of great relief.
”This is one of the rare cases in which two drugs, both highly poisonous, are definitely antagonistic,” he explained. ”Each, therefore, is an antidote for the other when properly administered.”
Marilyn was chafing s.h.i.+rley's cold hands, tears resting shamelessly upon her lids, a look of deep inexpressible fear in her expression.
”Will--will you be able to save him, Professor?” she asked, not once, but a dozen different times.
None of the rest of us spoke. We waited anxiously for the first signs of hope, the first indication that the heavy man's life might be preserved. It was wholly a question whether the physostigmin had been given to him quickly enough.
Kennedy straightened finally, and we knew that the crisis was over.
Marilyn broke down completely and had to be supported to a chair.
Strong, willing arms lifted s.h.i.+rley to take him to his dressing room.
At that moment Kennedy stood up, raising his voice so as to demand the attention of everyone, taking charge of matters through sheer force of personality.
”I have come here this afternoon,” he began, ”to apprehend the man or woman responsible for the death of Miss Lamar and Mr. Werner, for the fire in the negative vault, and now for this attempt upon the life of Mr. s.h.i.+rley.”
Not a sound was evident as he paused, no movement save a vague, uneasy s.h.i.+fting of position on the part of some of those who had been on the point of leaving.
”I have indisputable evidence of the guilty person's ident.i.ty, but, nevertheless, for reasons which I will explain to you I have not yet completed my identification. To do so it is necessary that certain photographed scenes be projected on the screen and that certain other matters be made perfectly clear. I am very anxious, you see, to eliminate the slightest possibility of error.
”Mr. Mackay here”--Kennedy smiled, very slightly--”is the district attorney with jurisdiction at Tarrytown. At my request, since yesterday--or, to be exact, since the death of Mr. Werner warned us that no time could be lost--he has carried a 'John Doe' warrant.
Immediately following my identification of the guilty person he--or she--will be placed under arrest. The charge will be the murder of Stella Lamar by the use of poison in a manner which I will explain to you. The trial will take place at White Plains, the county seat of Westchester County, where the murder occurred. Mr. Mackay informs me that the courts there are not crowded; in fact, he personally has been able to devote most of his time to this case. Therefore the trial will be speedy and I am sure that the cold-blooded methods used by this criminal will guarantee a quick sentence and an early trip to the electric chair at Ossining. Now”--suddenly grim--”if everyone will go down to the projection room, the larger one, we will bring matters to their proper conclusion.”
I imagined that Kennedy's speech was calculated to spread a little wholesome fear among the people we had considered suspects. In any case that was the result, for an outsider, from the expressions upon the various faces, might have concluded that several of them were guilty.
Each seemed to start off across the studio floor reluctantly, as though afraid to obey Kennedy, yet unable to resist the fascination of witnessing the identification of the criminal, as though feeling that he or she individually might be accused, and yet unwilling to seek safety at the expense of missing Kennedy's revelation of his methods and explanation of their result.
I drew him aside as quickly as I could.
”Craig,” I started, eagerly, ”isn't this all unnecessary? Can't you see that s.h.i.+rley is the guilty man? If you will hurry into his room with paper and pencil and get his confession before he recovers from his fright and regains his a.s.surance--”
”What on earth, Walter!” Kennedy interrupted me with a look of surprise which I did not miss even in my excitement. ”What are you driving at, anyway?”
”Why, s.h.i.+rley is the criminal. He--”
”Nonsense! Wasn't an attempt made to kill him just now? Wasn't it evident that he was considered as dangerous to the unknown as Werner, the director? Hasn't he been eliminated from our calculations as surely as the man slain yesterday?”
”No!” I flushed. ”Not at all, Craig! This was not an attempt at murder.
There were none of the criminal's earmarks noticeable at Tarrytown or in the banquet scene.”
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