“It seemed to be lying across the end of the table—almost on one shoulder—I can’t remember any more. Is that all?”
Dr. Anselm asserted his satisfaction.
“Inspector Baddeley!” Baddeley stepped forward, as briskly as ever.
He told his story curtly and decisively. He explained that he had been called to Considine Manor about eight o’clock on the morning in question, in company with Dr. Elliott. As the previous witness had stated, the body of the dead man lay across the billiard-table in the billiard room. The room was to an extent disordered. Three of the chairs were overturned, and by the side of one lay the poker from the fireplace. The window of the room was open—probably about two feet. There were footprints outside this window, indicating that deceased had been out there, and another man as well. With regard to this latter fact he would say no more for the moment.
Anthony plucked at my elbow. “You’ll hear no mention of the ‘Spider’—you see.”
Baddeley went on with his evidence. No money had been found on the deceased, although he was almost fully dressed. He was wearing, when discovered, full evening dress with the exception of his shoes. These were brown—the deceased had evidently pulled them on in a great hurry. He had made inquiries about the deceased gentleman, and had discovered nothing whatever to his discredit or detriment. Inspector Baddeley retired.
Dr. Elliott then followed with his medical testimony. Once again the room at the “Swan’s Nest” buzzed and hummed with excitement. Death was due, he told his audience, to strangulation. Deceased had been strangled by a brown shoe-lace, taken from one of the shoes that he was wearing and tied tightly round his throat. A dagger had also been driven into the base of the neck, at the top of the spinal column, but in his opinion, death had already supervened before this assault had taken place. Acute sensation!
A Juryman.—“Was it possible, Dr. Elliott, for this shoe-lace to have been placed round deceased’s neck by deceased himself?”
Dr. Elliott.—“You suggest suicide?”
A Juryman.—“Yes. That’s what I mean.”