Again she reached into the handbag, and took out a small corked bottle about a third full of a whitish crystalline powder.
CHAPTER FIVE
The Four cuff-links
"This-?" I said. I moved over automatically, and took the bottle. It was labelled in neat handwriting, "Potassium bromide. Half a teaspoonful in half a glass of water when required. L.D.A."
The woman, despite her fierce ease of manner, was nearly at a collapse after the long strain.
"At least I shall be able to get out of here," she said. "That bottle, officer, contains strychnine salts. You can see, or your — your coroner will be able to see, that poor Mr. Hogenauer died of strychnine poisoning. Bit there's one thing I must tell you now. If there's any fault in this, it's mine. My husband had nothing to do with it. He's just beginning his career… " She beat her fist softly on the arm of the chair, and her voice grew jumpy again. "I don't know what happened, but it's all my fault."
"You're Mrs. Antrim, aren't you?"
She stared up. "You know about it already? Then Larry — my husband — Dr. Antrim-?"
"I saw him at the Chief Constable's this evening," I said evasively. "What happened?"
"That's what I don't know! Mr. Hogenauer was a patient of my husband's. He came to the house last night… " She paused, and looked at Bowers in appeal. "You remember. You were with him. You're Mr. Hogenauer's servant, aren't you?"