“The fact inclines one to talk with you,” he said drily. “Look here, Miss Keate, this is not going to be an easy job. In the first place it is obvious that the guilty person is very likely someone who is familiar with St. Ann’s.” I made some protestant motion and he went on: “Surely that has occurred to you?”
“Yes,” I replied in a small voice.
“Why?”
“Because it must have been someone who knew that the radium was being used and in what room.”
“And one who was familiar enough with the hospital routine to know the best time to enter the wing unobserved,” said O’Leary.
“That eliminates Jim Gainsay,” I remarked without thinking.
He regarded me keenly.
“We will come to him later,” he said. “As to the radium—yes, I think we can assume that the radium theft was at least one of the motives. Its disappearance indicates that, though it might be merely a blind. But the radium is very valuable, a small fortune to many men. As a matter of routine we have taken steps to insure the immediate reporting of anyone trying to dispose of a quantity of radium. I do not expect to hear from this, however, for the person who has the radium will naturally wait until this affair has blown over before attempting to sell the stuff. Yes, the radium theft may account for the death of Jackson but not for Dr. Letheny. At least not unless——”
“Unless he caught the thief?” I interrupted eagerly.
“If that were true, how account for his stealthy return to St. Ann’s and the fact that he did not call for help?” He paused but I said nothing and he continued: “Then there is the obvious conjecture that the person who administered the morphine must have been either so skilled that he could do so without awaking Jackson, or someone to whom the patient was accustomed. Dr. Letheny had charge of the case——”