“Yeah, that’s what it was. Suicide. An’ it happened not very long afore we had come. Yuh could see that.”
The policeman tapped softly on the back of his hand with his fountain pen. For several minutes he did not speak, then—
“You say you didn’t disturb the body?”
“No,” answered the little man, “we didn’t touch him.”
“Did you, by any chance, examine the contents of his pockets?”
The big man flushed under the direct scrutiny, while his partner, Emery, suddenly became interested in the fringe of his mackinaw jacket.
“Well, yes,” drawled the big man. “Yuh see,” he attempted to defend their actions, “Emery an’ me thought that mebbe we could find a letter or suthin’ in his pockets what would tell who the fellow was.”
“Quite right,” approved Rand. “And what did you find?”
“Nothin’,” stated Emery.
“Nothin’,” echoed his partner.