“That’s what we want to find out,” Inspector Druet announced grimly. “There are several suspicious circumstances connected with his death. Do you know of any enemies he may have had?”
Orbit frowned slightly and his glance traveled in startled amazement to the faces of McCarty and Dennis and back again to his interrogator.
“‘Enemies?’” he repeated. “Surely there was no violence? I know nothing of Hughes’ personal affairs but I should not have fancied he had an active enemy in the world!”
CHAPTER III
THE NOSE OF DENNIS RIORDAN
There was a second pause and then the inspector asked: “Did he give you any excuse for wanting an evening out to-night?”
“No, none. It was not unusual and I thought nothing of it.” Orbit’s hands clenched slightly. “I cannot believe that poor Hughes is really gone! Perhaps Ching Lee made a mistake, perhaps some one else had come into possession of Hughes’ key-ring. Will you describe him to me, please, and tell me the suspicious circumstances you mentioned?”
“You describe the fellow, Mac; you examined him and his clothes more closely than I did.” There was a double significance in the inspector’s tone and he added: “Special Deputy McCarty happened to be there when this man died.”
Orbit nodded and fixed his eyes expectantly on McCarty as the latter briefly complied with the inspector’s request, without, however, mentioning the letters in the hat. When he had finished, Orbit exclaimed:
“It is he, beyond a doubt! The raincoat and brown sack suit were my own, given to him when I tired of them myself, and he must have copied my cat’s-eye pin and links, although I never saw them. How did he die?”
“Well, sir, he was hurrying along in the rain and all of a sudden he dropped.” McCarty chose his words carefully. “When me and a friend of mine got to him he was breathing his last and the end came as I lifted his head to my knee.... How did he happen to be wearing a hat with the letters ‘B. P.’ in it, Mr. Orbit? Who is B. P.?”