Part 7 (1/2)
”Now, I'll represent Miss Van Allen,” and Lowney stood over the body of Somers. ”Is this the place?”
”A little farther to the right, sir,” and Luigi's earnestness and good faith were unmistakable. ”Yes, sir, just there.”
”Now, I walk out into the hall. Is this the way she went?”
”Yes, sir, the same.”
Lowney went from the dining-room to the hall, and it was clear that his further progress could not be seen by the peeping waiter.
”You see, Fenn,” the detective went on, ”from here, in the back of this long hall, Miss Van Allen could have left the house by two ways.
She could have gone out at the front door, pa.s.sing the parlor, or, she could have gone down these bas.e.m.e.nt stairs, which are just under the stairs to the second story. Then she could have gone out by the front area door, which would give her access to the street. She could have caught up a cloak as she went.”
”Or,” said Fenn, musingly, ”she could have run upstairs. The staircase is so far back in the hall, that the guests in the parlor would not have seen her. This is a very deep house, you see.”
It was true. The stairs began so far back in the long hall, that Vicky could easily have slipped upstairs after leaving the dining-room, without being seen by any of us in the living-room, unless we were in its doorway, looking out. Was anybody? So many guests had left, that this point could not be revealed.
”I didn't see her,” declared Mrs. Reeves, ”and I don't believe she was in the dining-room at all. I don't care what that waiter says!”
”Oh, yes, Madame,” reiterated Luigi. ”It was Miss Van Allen. I know her well. Often she comes to Fraschini's, and always I take her orders. She came even this afternoon, to make sure the great cake--the Jack Horner, was all right. And she approved it, ah, she clapped her hands at sight of it. We all do our best for Miss Van Allen, she is a lovely lady.”
”Miss Van Allen is one of your regular customers?”
”One of our best. Very often we serve her, and always she orders our finest wares.”
”You provide everything?”
”Everything. Candles, flowers, decorations--all”
”And she pays her bills?”
”Most promptly.”
”By cheque?”
”Yes, sir.”
”And there are no servants here but the maid Julie?”
”I have often seen others. But I fancy they do not live in the house.
Madame Julie superintends and directs us always. Miss Van Allen leaves much to her. She is most capable.”
”When did you see this woman, this Julie, last?”
”A short time before--before that happened.” Luigi looked toward the body. ”She was in and out of the pantries all the evening. She admitted the guests, she acted as ladies' maid, and she arranged the favors in the pie. It was, I should say, ten minutes or so since she was last in the pantry, when I peeped in at the door.”
”Where was Julie then?”
”I don't know. I did not see her. Perhaps upstairs, or maybe in the front of the hall, waiting to bring me word to serve supper.”
”Tell me something distinctive about this maid's appearance. Was she good-looking?”