“Why Dago?”
“Didn’t an Italian woman turn in the call? How could she know of it unless some of her own people did it?”
“But there seems to be no robbery. Here’s his watch and scarfpin all right.”
“And his roll?”
“Yes,” said Pearson, after an investigation of the dead man’s pockets. “Bills and change. Nothing taken, apparently.”
“Valuable papers, maybe.”
“Not a Dago, then. Your theories don’t hang together. Well, this will create some stir in the Street! Biggest sensation in years. Rowland Trowbridge! Phew! Won’t the papers go crazy!”
“What family has he? Wife?”
“No, nor child. Only a niece, but she’s the apple of his eye. We’ll get Collins to telephone to the house. It’s an awful business.”
The business was awful, and its awful details took so much time that it was seven o’clock before Inspector Collins called up the Trowbridge home.