Lieutenant Norton leaned forward and spoke for the first time.
“Have you any particular interest in proving that a murder has been committed instead of suicide?” he asked.
“I see what you mean,” De Medici smiled slowly. “I am engaged to marry Miss Ballau and you think I have a personal interest in securing the collection of the insurance money left by her father. I have no such interest. I knew Mr. Ballau as well as I know anybody in the world. Had he decided to kill himself and conceal the fact, he would have done so in an intelligent manner.”
“We discussed that once,” smiled the detective. De Medici nodded. The coroner, after a pause, continued his questioning.
Q. “You heard Mr. Meyerson testify concerning the purchase of the dagger found in Mr. Ballau’s body.”
A. “Yes.”
Q. “Did you have any discussion with Mr. Ballau concerning the weapon after he had taken it home?”
A charming theory and worthy of a more romantic-looking person than the reddish-faced Norton. De Medici smiled appreciatively at the detective.
A. “I think we did talk about it.”
Q. “On that night in the library you asked Lieutenant Norton whether he had observed any finger-prints on the hilt, did you not?”