The Classic Mystery Collection - Arthur Conan Doyle [3997]
The Inspector was a man of little pretense. He felt startled and showed it.
"But this is a serious matter, Gryce."
"Very serious."
"No mere visitor to the museum would have presumed upon this venture."
"No."
"Which means----"
"That some one actively connected with it had a guilty hand in this deplorable affair."
"I am afraid so."
"Some one well acquainted with the existence of this door and who had means of opening it. The question is--who?"
In saying this, Mr. Gryce studiously avoided the Inspector's eye; while the Inspector in his turn looked up, then down--anywhere but in the detective's direction. It was a moment of mutual embarrassment, broken, when it was broken, by a remark which manifestly avoided the issue.
"Possibly those traces you speak of were not made at the time you specify. They may have been made since, or they may have been made before. Perhaps the Curator was curious and tried his hand at a little detective work on his own account."
"He hadn't the chance. Every portion of the building has been very thoroughly guarded since first we entered it. He may have gone up prior to the shooting. That is open to dispute; but if he had done so, why did he not inform us of the fact when he showed us the key? The Curator is the soul of honor. He would hardly deceive us in so important a matter."
The quick glance which this elicited from the Inspector awoke no corresponding flash in the eye of the imperturbable detective. He continued to shake his head over the small object he was twirling thoughtfully about between his thumb and finger, and only from his general seriousness could the Inspector gather that his mind was no more at rest than his fingers. Was this why his remark took the form of a question?
"Where was the Curator when you forced open that door behind the tapestry? Was he anywhere in the building?"
"No, sir; he has not been there to-day. He was ill last night, and he is ill to-day. He sent us his excuses. If he had been in the building, I doubt whether I would have given the order to burst open the door. I would simply have requested him to use his key. And he would have done so and kept his own counsel. I do not know as I can say as much for any of his subordinates. Happily, no spying eye was about at that time; and Stevens will be sure to see that he is not watched at his work if he has to lock the door upon the whole bunch of directors."
"This is to be a secret investigation, then?"
"I would so advise."
"With every reporter headed off, and anyone likely to report to a reporter headed off also?"
"Do not _you_ advise this?"
"I do. Anything more?"
"Not till we hear from Stevens."
They had not long to wait. Sooner than they expected the expert mentioned came in. He held a batch of papers in his hand, which at a gesture from the Inspector he spread out before them. Then he spoke:
"One man and one man only has passed down those stairs. But that man has passed down them twice--once with rubbers on and once without. There are signs equally plain of his having gone up them, but only once, and at the time he wore the rubbers. I took every pains possible to preserve and photograph the prints, but as you see, great confusion was caused by the second line of steps falling half on and half off the other. All I dare read there is this: A quick run up and a quick run down by a man in rubbers, and then a second run down by the same man