Part 8 (1/2)
The secretary made no effort to combat the coroner's resolve. He simply bowed his head meekly, ready to submit. Britz, however, who had caught every fleeting emotion that pa.s.sed across the witness's countenance, was not prepared to see Beard silenced through intimidation.
”Coroner,” he said, ”suppose you adjourn the inquest for the present? I want to take Mr. Beard with me to Mr. Whitmore's home. He may be of service there.”
”Very well,” reluctantly agreed the coroner. ”Take him!”
CHAPTER VI
Had Herbert Whitmore, in a spirit of diabolical fun, resolved to present the New York police with a baffling murder mystery, he could not have carried out the design more effectively than in the manner of his taking off. Not a clue to the perpetrator of the crime or the manner of its accomplishment, was found in the merchant's home. There were not wanting signs of hasty destruction, but the obliteration of all possible leads had been complete.
Two hours were consumed in the search of the house, and all the while Beard looked on silently, offering neither help nor hindrance. Britz, pursuing the search with the help of Greig, put an occasional question to the secretary, but the almost invariable reply was a non-committal shrug of the shoulders.
”Since you won't tell us anything about Mr. Whitmore, kindly inform me where _you_ spent the morning?” demanded Britz.
”Up to ten o'clock I was in this house,” the secretary replied. ”Then I visited the office of the Garfield Safe Deposit Company. I remained in the vaults, a.s.sorting Mr. Whitmore's papers until three o'clock. From there I came directly to the iron works.”
”In other words, you have a complete alibi with which to meet a charge of murder?”
”Between the time that Mr. Whitmore entered his office and the time he was found dead, I was at the vault, continuously within sight of two guards,” declared Beard.
The butler and the other servants were entirely empty of helpful knowledge concerning the crime. All of them united in declaring that Mr.
Whitmore had left the house six weeks ago, that no one had seen him leave and he had not been back. Mr. Beard had taken charge of his affairs, in fact he had come to the house to live. None of them had seen Mr. Whitmore since the night of his disappearance, nor had they received any word from him. While they had not accepted unequivocally Mr. Beard's a.s.surance that their employer was on a business trip, nevertheless they had no other knowledge concerning their master's whereabouts and therefore did not openly question Beard's a.s.sertions.
”Mr. Beard,” said Britz, when he had finished questioning the servants, ”I shall not arrest you for the present. But you will hold yourself in readiness to appear at Police Headquarters whenever I may want you.”
”I shall not leave the city,” promised Beard.
”Very well. Now kindly leave the house,” requested Britz.
The secretary left reluctantly, as if unwilling to permit the detectives to be alone with the servants. But he offered no resistance as Britz escorted him to the door and closed it behind him. Relieved of Beard's presence, the detective summoned the butler.
”Who visited Mr. Whitmore on the night he disappeared?” Britz said sharply.
”A lady,” answered the butler.
”Who was she?”
”I don't know. I had never seen her before.”
”Did you see Mr. Whitmore after her departure?”
”Yes, sir, in the library.”
”Did he say anything?”
”He asked me about a letter I had mailed.”
”Did you observe the address on the letter?”