Ashton-Kirk. "The number is 2979."
The car wheeled in its own length under the skilful hand of Dixon; then it went speeding away.
"When did this happen?"asked Ashton-Kirk, of Drevenoff.
"The murder?"
"Of course!"sharply.
"I don't know the hour. Some time to-night."
"How was it done?"
"He was shot through the chest."
"Where?"
"In his library."
It is natural, under such circumstances, for an informant to become very voluble; but not so Drevenoff. His answers were brief; his manner, too, was sullen and unwilling.
"Tell me what you know about it,"requested Ashton-Kirk.
"I know very little,"said the man. "This evening about dark I ate my dinner and looked at the evening paper; then I went to my room, which is on the third floor. I go to bed early these nights; I am not well, you see. It must have been about half-past ten when I heard a knocking at my door. It was Nanon, and she was crying out that Dr. Morse was dead. I dressed and hurried down-stairs. Dr. Morse was sitting all huddled up in his chair; his face was smeared with blood. Miss Corbin was kneeling beside him; the old woman stood by the door."
"Is that all?"
"Nanon told me to go for the police; but Miss Corbin got up at once and warned me not to. There was a train almost due; she told me to take that and go get you."
"I see."
The big car rushed along at high speed through the silence of the night; in a surprisingly short time Eastbury was reached and they turned into Fordham Road. The residence of Dr. Morse was silent and dark; the blinds were closely drawn; not even a glimmer of light was to be seen around their edges. Ashton-Kirk touched the bell; almost instantly the door opened and through the darkness a voice asked:
"Is that you, Drevenoff?"
"Yes,"replied the Pole.
"Have you brought the gentleman?"
"Here he is."
The light was switched on; they saw the seamed face of the old Breton woman, harsh and emotionless. She spoke to Ashton-Kirk.
"Miss Corbin will see you at once, sir, if you please."
The secret agent followed her down the hall; they passed the library door, which was closed; and the old servant paused at the room into which she had shown them the evening before.
"I will tell her that you are here,"she said.
Ashton-Kirk entered the room; it was dim, for only one light was burning; the atmosphere was hushed and breathless; a sort of terror seemed to have settled over everything. He had waited but a few moments when he heard a light, hasty step. Then Stella Corbin came in.
Her face was white and the great eyes were dry and dumb with fear; the corners of her mouth twitched. Silently she held out both hands to the secret agent; they were deathly cold and he felt them tremble.
"I came as soon as I could,"said he.
"I called and called upon the telephone, but they told me that you were not at home. Then I sent Drevenoff."She spoke in broken, sobbing sentences; and the fear in her eyes crept into her voice as she went on. "You see, it is as I expected. He is dead. They have killed him."
"Are you quite strong enough to tell me what you know?"he asked. "It is important that we act quickly; the police will, of course, be in the house before long, and they are sometimes disposed to stand in the way."
"The police!"He felt the small, cold hands tighten convulsively, and, if possible, her face went still whiter. "The police! Oh! I had forgotten them."
He got her a chair, forced her to sit down, and then took another, directly facing her. The light fell dimly upon the dark, loosely coiled masses of her hair and brought out the clear perfection of the face. Her slight figure seemed almost childish in the long enveloping robe which she wore.
"I have heard the manner of your uncle's death,"he said. "When you entered the library did you see any sort of firearms lying about near to his hand?"
Instantly she grasped the meaning behind the words.
"No, no,"she said hastily. "It was not suicide! Tried as he was, many would have resorted to that; but my uncle was not of that sort. He was murdered."
"There were no firearms, then?"
"No."
"Who discovered the body?"
"Nanon."
"If I may I should like to ask her a question or two."
The old servant was summoned; she entered, angular, severe and sharp of eye.
"Miss Corbin tells me,"said the secret agent, "that it was you who discovered the body of Dr. Morse."
"It was."
"Would you mind telling me how you came to do so?"
"When he worked at night, he always drank coffee to keep himself awake. I always made and took it to him. When I went into the library to-night, I found him sitting in his chair—dead."
"You heard no shot?"
"No."
"When did you last see the doctor alive?"
"About half past nine. I had just finished locking all the windows and doors when he rang for me."
"Is it your custom to lock up every night?"
"Yes. I have always done so at nine o'clock by the doctor's orders."
"He was so urgent about this,"said Stella, "that I have thought he feared a repetition of the entrances which occurred at Sharsdale."
"You had seen that everything was fast, then?"said Ashton-Kirk, looking at the old woman.
"Yes; every door and every window upon the lower floor and every window overlooking the porch on the second floor. As there was no way by which the house could be entered by any of the other windows we never bothered with them."
"You say Dr. Morse rang for you as you finished locking up?"
"Yes, sir; and I answered. He was in the library, and I was surprised to see that he was dressed as though he meant to go out—perhaps upon a journey. He had on his hat, an overcoat lay across a chair and he was trying to turn a key in the lock of his traveling bag. The key was bent and he had rung for me that I might bring him something to straighten it with. But as he was speaking to me, the lock turned, and he told me that I need not mind."
"You say he was dressed as though to go out. Did he do so?"
"No, sir. I am sure of that, because I went to the hall door and sat upon the step for some time. It was a fine night. So if he had gone out I should have seen him."
"How long did you sit there?"
"About ten minutes. Then I went to prepare the coffee."
"While you sat upon the step did you see or hear anything?"
"I heard Dr. Morse talking."
"With whom?"
"I don't know. I heard a second voice, but not distinctly. I thought it must be Miss Stella or Mr. Warwick."
Here the girl drew a deep, audible breath, and Ashton-Kirk saw the old woman fix her sharp eyes upon her.
"But,"resumed Nanon, "Miss Stella tells me that it was not she."
"You went directly from the library to the hall door after speaking to Dr. Morse, you say?"
"Yes, sir."
"Did you close the door while you sat upon the step?"
"No; I left it open, thinking to hear if the doctor rang again."
"No