The Mystery of the Invisible Dog - M. V. Carey [35]
Professor Lantine shrugged. “I haven’t been able to collect one shred of evidence that the phantom priest exists anywhere except in the mind of that housekeeper. Perhaps your friend saw the phantom priest in the church, perhaps not. I’ve never actually seen a ghost, and I’ve been a ghost hunter for many years. Maybe they exist. Who can tell?”
Chapter 15
The Victims
WHEN BOB ANDREWS had departed for Ruxton University, Jupe called Central Hospital. He was told that John Murphy, after being treated for smoke inhalation, had been taken to Belvedere Clinic, where his doctor was on staff. Gwen Chalmers was still in Central. Jupe decided to see her first.
He found Miss Chalmers in a private room. She was sitting up in bed, staring unhappily out the window.
“Hi,” she said to Jupe, when he appeared in the doorway. “You’re Mr. Prentice’s young friend, aren’t you?”
“Yes,” said Jupiter. “How are you feeling?”
“Not bad, considering somebody tried to kill me,” she said. “Also I’m hungry. They won’t give me anything to eat except gelatin and milk.” She kicked impatiently at the bedcovers. “Don’t ever get poisoned,” she advised Jupe.
“I’ll try not to!” he said. He looked carefully at the woman. Although she was upset, her face was not the face of a disagreeable person. There were creases in the corners of her mouth, as if she laughed a lot.
“What was the poison, do you know?” asked Jupiter.
“Some common chemical,” said Miss Chalmers. She sounded a little bitter about this. “The police told me the name but it didn’t register. It wasn’t anything like arsenic or strychnine—you know, those classy poisons used in mystery stories.”
“Lucky for you!” said Jupiter. “If you had eaten strychnine, you wouldn’t be here now!”
“I know, I know! I should be grateful the stuff only made me sick. Getting poisoned chocolates is dramatic enough.” She laughed.
“Were the police able to trace anything?”
“They said the poison can’t be traced,” answered Gwen Chalmers. “And you can buy that brand of chocolates anywhere.”
Her eyes wandered to the potted plant sitting on her locker.
“A gift?” asked Jupe.
Miss Chalmers nodded. “The girls I work with sent that,” she said. “I called my office this morning, and the plant was here right away. Nice.”
“You get on well with the people, don’t you?” said Jupe.
She laughed. “You sound just like the cops! They were around half the morning trying to find out if I have any enemies. What nonsense! People like me don’t have enemies.”
“I’m sure you don’t,” said Jupiter. “Mr. Prentice will be glad to know you’re better.”
“He’s a nice man,” she said. “I like him. I’m glad he’s going to get a dog.”
Jupe stood very still. “The Carpathian Hound?”
“Yes. He told me …”
“He told you he was getting a Carpathian Hound?”
She frowned as if trying to remember. “No, come to think of it, he didn’t tell me. I guess it was Mrs. Bortz. Yes, I remember. Last Saturday, I was out by the pool and Mrs.
Bortz was hanging around pretending to wait for the postman. She said he was getting a dog and he hadn’t notified her officially. She was kind of upset about it. She wasn’t sure we should have a dog in the building, although I can’t see why not. Alex Hassell has all those stray cats coming around all the time.”
Jupe nodded. “Well, is there anything I can bring you from home?”
She shook her head. “The ladies’ auxiliary have been around with toothbrushes and toothpaste and combs and everything I need,” she said. “Anyway, I’ll be home tomorrow or the next day. They’re just having me stay awhile for observation.”
Jupe said good-bye and left, musing.
So Miss Chalmers had known of the Carpathian Hound, although she, too, had completely misunderstood the situation. No doubt everyone in the building knew that Mr. Prentice would shortly acquire a dog of some type. But how many people knew the dog was actually a crystal sculpture by the deceased artist, Edward Niedland?
Might Elmquist know? Might Murphy? It would be interesting to hear what Murphy had to say.
A cab stood in the taxi rank in front of the hospital. The driver was slouched