“Dr. Heddis asked me to say, sir, that he has just checked the Medical Library. There have been no reference works upon the subject out for several years. He, therefore, feels that the student body is cleared.”
“Thank you again, Baldy.”
“May I ask a question?” Cub Sterling was clipping his words. “Will it keep long?”
“What?” Baldy was resentful of his superior tone.
“Coniine.”
He turned and looked Cub Sterling full in the eye.
“I don’t know, Doctor. We have never handled it in the pharmacy.”
He was gone before Cub could reply; but his parting speech brought an involuntary nod from Doctors Peters and Paton, and Hoffbein pierced Cub with a barometer stare. Bear Sterling appeared to have missed the stab.
“Murderers always have motives. If we could find the motive.... What about that girl and Hoffbein’s examining her. Where’s the harm?”
“The harm, Bear,” Dr. Harrison pulled his beard, “is (you will pardon me, Hoffbein, and correct me if am wrong, please?) that presuming she is the murderer, any examination different from that given any other person might frighten her into a temporary respite, but it would not put us any nearer a solution.”