“You will have to ask Mr. Hale,” answered Richards composedly. “I am ignorant of his affairs.”
Penfield stroked his chin slowly; Richards as a source of information was a disappointment. Should he not insist upon seeing Mr. Hale, illness or no illness, unconventional hour or not? Valuable time was slipping away and he was no nearer vital information than at the moment of his arrival—over an hour had elapsed since receiving his hasty summons. Penfield stood up.
“By the way, Major,” he began, “as you are a stranger in Washington and did not ask the advice of others”—with a quick side-long scrutiny of which Richards appeared unaware—“how did it happen that you called me on the telephone first and not the police?”
For answer Richards strode over to the table near the fireplace and, picking up the evening newspaper which lay spread across it, pointed to a column of news bearing display type.
“I had been reading earlier in the evening this account of the Fuller inquest,” he explained. “Your name is given, Coroner Penfield, and it also stated that the body of the dead woman could not be moved until you had arrived on the scene; therefore,” calmly, “I judged that you would be of more immediate aid than the police. It was a simple matter to find your number in the telephone directory.”
“True.” Penfield considered a moment, then moved restlessly over to the safe. Without removing the contents of its compartments he took careful note of such papers and objects as came within his view. He was still gazing steadily at them when the portières before the dining room parted and Ferguson stepped again into the room.
“Every window on this floor and the basement is locked on the inside,” he announced. “And I also examined those on the landings of the stairs and the hall of the second floor.”
“You went upstairs?” Richards moved toward him, his jaw set at an angry angle. “After what I told you?”
“Yes.” There was open defiance in the detective’s manner. “I looked only in the rooms where the doors were open,” he turned and addressed Penfield. “So far as I could discover, there is no trace of the burglar’s having gained entrance through forcing a window or door.”
“No trace of any one’s lurking downstairs?” demanded Penfield.