With manifest pride on his large red face he produced an enormous and impressive-looking gold badge, which he hung on his lapel conspicuously.
`To the man we're going to question,' he observed, `we have got to look like a real crowd of detectives. That we do not look like, the same to the chief of the C.I.D. is of no consequence. But we have got to look the part for Mr Marks's benefit or we shall get nothing out of him. The handcuffs will lie before me, and you, Hadley, will be suggestively fingering the revolver. My young friend here will take down his testimony… Turn out those centre lights, will you?' he added to Rampole. `Just the brilliant spotlight on his face, and ourselves in shadow. I think I shall keep on my hat. We now look sufficiently like the classic group, I think, to have our pictures taken.'
Rampole inspected them as he went to turn out the centre lights. There was a slight suggestion of people having their pictures taken at one of those beach-resort places where you put, your head over the top of a cardboard airship and look foolish. Dr Fell was sitting back sternly, and Hadley looked with a weird expression at the tin revolver hanging by the trigger-guard from one finger. Then there were footfalls in the vestibule. Dr Fell said, `Hist!' and Rampole hastily extinguished the centre lights.
Dalrye saw the tableau a moment later, and jumped violently.
`Bring in the accused!' Dr Fell intoned, with a voice strongly suggestive of Hamlet's father's Ghost.
`Bring in who?' said Dalrye.
`Bring in Marks and lock the door.'
`You can't do it,' said Dalrye, after a moment's inspection. 'The lock's broken.'
`Well, shoot him in,' the Ghost suggested, in a more matter-of-fact tone, `and stand against it, then.'
'Right-ho,' said Dalrye. He was not sure what was going on, but he caught the cue, and frowned sternly as he ushered in Marks.'