The Red Seal [64]
fashion. "Wasn't Mr. Turnbull arrested in that very room?" he demanded. "And what was he looking for?"
"Mr. Turnbull's presence has been explained," replied McIntyre. "He came here disguised as a burglar on a wager with my daughter, Miss Barbara."
"Ah, did he now?" Grimes' rising inflection indicated nervous tension. "Did a man with a bad heart come here in the dead of night for nothing but that foolishness?" Grimes glared at his three visitors. "You bet he didn't."
Ferguson, who had followed the dialogue between McIntyre and his servant with deep attention, addressed the excited man.
"Why did Mr. Turnbull enter Colonel McIntyre's library on Monday night disguised as a burglar?" he asked.
Grimes, by a twist of his head, managed to regard the detective out of the corner of his eye.
"Aye, why did he?" he repeated. "That's what I went to the library last night to find out."
"Did you discover anything?" The question shot from McIntyre, and both Ferguson and Kent watched him as they waited for Grimes' reply. The butler took his time.
"No, sir."
McIntyre threw himself back in his chair and his eyebrows rose in interrogation as he touched his forehead significantly and glanced at Grimes. That the butler caught his meaning was evident from his expression, but he said nothing. The detective was the first to speak.
"Did you hear any one break into the house when you were prowling around, Grimes?" he asked.
"No, sir."
The detective turned to Colonel McIntyre. "After finding Grimes did you search the house?" he inquired.
"Yes. The patrolman, O'Ryan, and my new footman, Murray, went with me through the entire house, and we found all doors and windows to the front and rear of the house securely locked," responded McIntyre; "except the window of the reception room on the ground floor. That was closed but unlatched."
Kent wondered if the grimace which twisted the butler's face was meant for a smile.
"That there window was locked when I went to bed," Grimes stated with slow distinctness. "And I was the last person in this house to go to my room."
McIntyre started to speak when Ferguson stopped him.
"Just let me handle this case," he said persuasively. "You have called in the police," and as McIntyre commenced some uncomplimentary remark, he added with sternness. "Don't interfere, sir. Now, Grimes, your statements imply one of two things - some member of the household either went downstairs after you had retired, and opened the window in the reception room to admit the person who afterwards attacked you in the library, or" - Ferguson paused significantly, "some member of this household knocked you senseless in the library. Which was it?"
There was a tense silence. McIntyre, by an obvious effort, refrained from speech as they waited for Grimes' answer.
"I dunno who hit me." Grimes avoided looking at the three men. "But some one did, and that window in the reception room was locked when I went upstairs to my bedroom after every one had retired. I'm telling you God's truth, sir."
McIntyre eyed him in wrathful silence, then turned to his companions.
"The blow has knocked Grimes silly," he commented. "There is certainly no motive for any of us to attack Grimes, nor has any trace of a weapon been found such as must have been used against Grimes. O'Ryan and I looked particularly for it, after removing Grimes from the Venetian casket, where my daughter Helen, Mrs. Brewster and I discovered him lying unconscious."
"What's this Venetian casket like?" asked Ferguson before Kent could question McIntyre.
"It is a fine sample of carving of the Middle Ages," replied McIntyre. "I purchased the pair when in Venice years ago. They are over six feet in length, about three feet wide, and rest on a carved base. There is a door at the end through which it was customary in the Middle Ages to slide the body, after embalming, for the funeral ceremonies, after which the body was removed, placed in another casket and buried. There is a square opening or peep hole on the top
"Mr. Turnbull's presence has been explained," replied McIntyre. "He came here disguised as a burglar on a wager with my daughter, Miss Barbara."
"Ah, did he now?" Grimes' rising inflection indicated nervous tension. "Did a man with a bad heart come here in the dead of night for nothing but that foolishness?" Grimes glared at his three visitors. "You bet he didn't."
Ferguson, who had followed the dialogue between McIntyre and his servant with deep attention, addressed the excited man.
"Why did Mr. Turnbull enter Colonel McIntyre's library on Monday night disguised as a burglar?" he asked.
Grimes, by a twist of his head, managed to regard the detective out of the corner of his eye.
"Aye, why did he?" he repeated. "That's what I went to the library last night to find out."
"Did you discover anything?" The question shot from McIntyre, and both Ferguson and Kent watched him as they waited for Grimes' reply. The butler took his time.
"No, sir."
McIntyre threw himself back in his chair and his eyebrows rose in interrogation as he touched his forehead significantly and glanced at Grimes. That the butler caught his meaning was evident from his expression, but he said nothing. The detective was the first to speak.
"Did you hear any one break into the house when you were prowling around, Grimes?" he asked.
"No, sir."
The detective turned to Colonel McIntyre. "After finding Grimes did you search the house?" he inquired.
"Yes. The patrolman, O'Ryan, and my new footman, Murray, went with me through the entire house, and we found all doors and windows to the front and rear of the house securely locked," responded McIntyre; "except the window of the reception room on the ground floor. That was closed but unlatched."
Kent wondered if the grimace which twisted the butler's face was meant for a smile.
"That there window was locked when I went to bed," Grimes stated with slow distinctness. "And I was the last person in this house to go to my room."
McIntyre started to speak when Ferguson stopped him.
"Just let me handle this case," he said persuasively. "You have called in the police," and as McIntyre commenced some uncomplimentary remark, he added with sternness. "Don't interfere, sir. Now, Grimes, your statements imply one of two things - some member of the household either went downstairs after you had retired, and opened the window in the reception room to admit the person who afterwards attacked you in the library, or" - Ferguson paused significantly, "some member of this household knocked you senseless in the library. Which was it?"
There was a tense silence. McIntyre, by an obvious effort, refrained from speech as they waited for Grimes' answer.
"I dunno who hit me." Grimes avoided looking at the three men. "But some one did, and that window in the reception room was locked when I went upstairs to my bedroom after every one had retired. I'm telling you God's truth, sir."
McIntyre eyed him in wrathful silence, then turned to his companions.
"The blow has knocked Grimes silly," he commented. "There is certainly no motive for any of us to attack Grimes, nor has any trace of a weapon been found such as must have been used against Grimes. O'Ryan and I looked particularly for it, after removing Grimes from the Venetian casket, where my daughter Helen, Mrs. Brewster and I discovered him lying unconscious."
"What's this Venetian casket like?" asked Ferguson before Kent could question McIntyre.
"It is a fine sample of carving of the Middle Ages," replied McIntyre. "I purchased the pair when in Venice years ago. They are over six feet in length, about three feet wide, and rest on a carved base. There is a door at the end through which it was customary in the Middle Ages to slide the body, after embalming, for the funeral ceremonies, after which the body was removed, placed in another casket and buried. There is a square opening or peep hole on the top