Part 24 (2/2)

”Just how do you make that out, Mr. Crane?” asked Weston, with a slight smile.

”Why”--began Crane, a little lamely--”I'm not sure that I can explain, but it appeared to me that if Blair had one poison in his possession, he might have had the other, and----”

”How do you know this laudanum was Mr. Blair's possession?” asked Weston. ”Might it not have been Mr. Thorpe's?”

”How you hark back to Thorpe!” exclaimed Crane, with real petulance. ”I wish you'd stop it, Weston. If you've a definite suspicion that he killed Gilbert Blair, say so, but don't throw out these silly hints.”

”Nothing especially silly about them, Mr. Crane,” the detective was quite unruffled, ”only I hold that the poison we've just found is quite as likely to be Mr. Thorpe's as Mr. Blair's. That's all.”

”Of course it is,” Shelby said, placatingly, ”but that's neither here nor there. If you have reason to think Mr. Blair was murdered, you've reason to look for the criminal. But I don't think you've proved it was not an accident, and until you do, it's well to be careful how you throw suspicion about.”

”It's not so easy to prove an accident,--or a murder, either,--when there's practically no clew to be found. Therefore, it's our duty to question any one who can give any material evidence, especially one who was presumably the last one to see Mr. Blair alive.”

”Except the murderer,--if there was one,” said Shelby.

”Yes, and if he was not the murderer himself,” grunted Weston.

”Send for that doorman,” said Middleton, a bit curtly. ”Let's get somewhere.”

Hastings, being summoned, appeared, and told all he knew, which was little, and all he surmised, which was more.

”Yes,” he said, ”Mr. Thorpe called me, this morning, and when I came, he was all of a s.h.i.+ver. He sat on the edge of that chair there, and his teeth chattered and his voice shook----”

”Small wonder!” said Crane. ”Mac is a very nervous man, and a shock such as he must have had----”

”Go on, Hastings,” ordered Doctor Middleton.

”Well, Mr. Thorpe said Mr. Blair was ill, and told me to go in and see him. Now, of course, Mr. Thorpe knew Mr. Blair was dead, but he said he was ill. Why did he do that?”

”Tell your story,” said Crane, scowling at him. ”Don't ask fool questions as you go along!”

”Yes, sir. Well, I went in and I saw Mr. Blair was dead. And I told Mr.

Thorpe so, and he didn't seem surprised, but he was all of a blue funk, and he said, 'Well,--get a doctor--or whatever is the thing to do.' Just like that. He didn't show any grief or any sorrow,--only just seemed scared to death.”

”And he didn't show any surprise?” This from Middleton.

”Of course he didn't!” Crane cried; ”of course he knew Blair was dead when he called Hastings. I know Thorpe, and he's a most nervous temperament. And when he called for help, as of course he had to do, it was the most natural thing in the world for him to say that Mr. Blair was ill. Nor would he be apt to show his grief then and there. He was stunned, and moreover, he's not the man to talk over his sorrow with the janitor! I say Thorpe acted as any of us would do in the same circ.u.mstances. Now, I for one, object to having him misjudged.”

”You're a good champion, Mr. Crane,” said Doctor Middleton, ”and I don't blame you for standing up for your friend. But he'll have to speak for himself,--Mr. Thorpe will,--and the sooner we get hold of him the better.”

”I agree to all that,” Crane replied, ”all I ask is that he shall not be condemned unheard.”

”That's reasonable enough,” granted Middleton, ”but we must get hold of him soon.”

”He'll come back here,” Mr. Crane a.s.sured them. ”He hasn't run away, as you seem to think, but he has a natural aversion to this place, and I shouldn't be surprised if he stayed away for a few days.”

”A few days! Where would he stay?” asked the Examiner.

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