“Valet or no, what was any one from a grand house like this doing down in that tough precinct by the waterfront, and in all the storm? Answer me that! What did he die of, did the ambulance doctor know?”
The inspector shook his head.
“It wasn’t up to him to say; he just pronounced the man dead and now it’s the medical examiner’s job, but we’ll know in the morning, after the autopsy.... What have you found over there, Mac, anything interesting?”
The room into which the Chinese had ushered them was a library, modern and luxurious yet monastic in tone, with tall-backed, cathedral chairs, refectory tables and benches and dried rushes covering the inlaid marble floor. A single huge log smoldered upon the hearth and books lined the wall space from floor to ceiling between the narrow, stained-glass windows. The light came from torches held in sconces and braziers suspended from massive chains.
McCarty had strolled over to a low row of open shelves where he stood with his back to his two companions. He seemed not to have heard the inspector’s query.
“It’s literature he’s took up now,” Dennis explained gloomily, “all along of that new school the commissioner’s opening at headquarters. This psycho-whatzis has gone to the head of him, and I misdoubt Mac’ll ever be the same man again!”
McCarty’s expression denoted symptoms of apoplexy at this slanderous betrayal, but before he turned he surreptitiously slipped into his inner breast pocket a pamphlet bound in pale blue paper which had fallen almost into his hands when he removed a larger, leather-covered volume. He replaced the latter and turned with dignity to approach the hearth once more.
“You’ll need to lose no sleep over me, Denny, and there’s more than me would not be hurting themselves by improving their minds!” he announced cuttingly. “The inspector’s here on a case of—of sudden death, not to listen to your opinion of my private affairs!”
There was an amused but affectionate softening of the inspector’s keen eyes as they glanced at his erstwhile subordinate. He opened his lips to speak when a pleasantly modulated voice from the doorway behind them fell upon their ears.
“What can I do for you, gentlemen?” it said. “I am Mr. Orbit.”