The telephone interrupted and Evan Pell put the receiver to his ear. “... Yes, this is the Free Press.... Please repeat that.... In Boston last night?... Who saw him? Who is speaking?” Then his face assumed that blank, exasperated look which nothing can bring in such perfection as to have the receiver at the other end of the line hung up in one’s ear. He turned to Carmel.
“The person”—he waggled his thumb toward the instrument—“who was on the wire says Sheriff Churchill was seen in Boston last night?”
“Alive?”
“Alive.”
“Who was it? Who saw him?”
“When I asked that—he hung up the receiver in my ear.”
“Do you suppose it is true?”
“Um!... Let us scrutinize the matter in the light of logic—which it is your custom to ridicule. First, we have an anonymous communication. Anonymity is always open to suspicion. Second, it is the newspaper which is informed—not the authorities. Third, it is the newspaper which has been showing a curiosity as to the sheriff’s whereabouts—er—contrary to the wishes of certain people....”
“Yes....”
“From these premises I would reason: first, that the anonymous informer wishes the fact to be made public; second, that he wishes this paper to believe it; third, that, if the paper does believe it, it will cease asking where the sheriff is and why; and fourth, that if this report is credited, there will be no search by anybody for a corpus delicti.”