“Apparently not.” It was Dr. Hajek who answered.
“Will you answer my questions?” demanded the chief loudly.
“Another time,” I stated impatiently. Didn’t the man see what the pressing issue was! “When did Miss Letheny see him last?”
Dr. Hajek shook his head. “She has not seen him since last night about twelve-thirty.”
The chief rose.
“Now, look here! We’ll have no more funny business,” he began to bluster.
“Oh, do be still!” I may have spoken somewhat irritably; at any rate the chief turned purple. “Don’t you see,” I explained reasonably, “don’t you see that we must find Dr. Letheny? That so much hinges upon our finding him? Why, so far as we know, he decided to remove the radium, perhaps he——” I stuck, appalled by the literal truth of my words.
The chief was quick to pick me up.
“So you have already formed your opinion. And quite right, too. It is very clear that this Letheny fellow has got away with the radium.” The chief actually began rubbing his hands together and smiling. “Now, Miss Keate, just tell us why you suspect Dr. Letheny of this crime.”
“But I don’t!” I cried in exasperation. “I have not had time to suspect anyone yet. I have been too busy. The reason I spoke as I did of Dr. Letheny is that he is the attendant physician; he knew more of Mr. Jackson’s condition than any of us. He may have decided that the radium was—er—not doing any good and may have removed it for that reason. It seems to me that our hands are tied without him.”