"Jennings," she cried, "Call Mr. Bennett—immediately!"
From the one-sided, excited conversation of the butler over the telephone, I gathered that Bennett had been in the process of disrobing in his own apartment uptown and would be right down.
Together, Kennedy, Elaine and myself lifted Dodge to a sofa and Elaine's aunt, Josephine, with whom she lived, appeared on the scene, trying to quiet the sobbing girl.
Kennedy and I withdrew a little way and he looked about curiously.
"What was it?" I whispered. "Was it natural, an accident, or—or murder?"
The word seemed to stick in my throat. If it was a murder, what was the motive? Could it have been to get the evidence which Dodge had that would incriminate the master criminal?
Kennedy moved over quietly and examined the body of Dodge. When he rose, his face had a peculiar look.
"Terrible!" he whispered to me. "Apparently he had been working at his accustomed place at the desk when the telephone rang. He rose and crossed over to it. See! That brought his feet on this register let into the floor. As he took the telephone receiver down a flash of light must have shot from it to his ear. It shows the characteristic electric burn."
"The motive?" I queried.
"Evidently his pockets had been gone through, though none of the valuables were missing. Things on his desk show that a hasty search has been made."