He disappeared through the front door, and in less than five minutes returned with the three detectives. I recognized them all, for each had worked on one or more of the cases in which Vance had figured.[26] Markham questioned Snitkin first as the one most likely to have information bearing directly on the previous night’s affair. The following points were brought out by his testimony:
Pardee had emerged from his house at 6.30 and gone straight to the Dillards’.
At 8.30 Belle Dillard, in an evening gown, had got into a taxi and been driven up West End Avenue. (Arnesson had come out of the house with her and helped her into the taxicab, but had immediately returned indoors.)
At 9.15 Professor Dillard and Drukker had left the Dillard house and walked slowly toward Riverside Drive. They had crossed the Drive at 74th Street, and turned up the bridle path.
At 9.30 Pardee had come out of the Dillard house, walked down to the Drive, and turned up-town.
At a little after 10.00 Professor Dillard had returned to his house alone, recrossing the Drive at 74th Street.
At 10.20 Pardee had returned home, coming from the same direction he had taken when going out.
Belle Dillard had been brought home at 12.30 in a limousine filled with young people.
Hennessey was interrogated next; but his evidence merely substantiated Snitkin’s. No one had approached the Dillard house from the direction of West End Avenue; and nothing of a suspicious nature had happened.
Markham then turned his attention to Emery, who reported that, according to Santos whom he had relieved at six, Pardee had spent the early part of the afternoon at the Manhattan Chess Club and had returned home at about four o’clock.
“Then, like Snitkin and Hennessey said,” Emery continued, “he went to the Dillards’ at half past six, and stayed till half past nine. When he came out I followed, keeping half a block or so behind him. He walked up the Drive to 79th Street, crossed to the upper park, and walked round the big grass bowl, past the rocks, and on up toward the Yacht Club. . . .”
“Did he take the path where Sprigg was shot?” Vance asked.
“He had to. There ain’t any other path up that way unless you walk along the Drive.”
“How far did he go?”
“The fact is, he stopped right about where Sprigg was bumped off. Then he came back the same way he’d gone and turned into the little park with the playground on the south side of 79th Street. He went slowly down the walk under the trees along the bridle path; and as he passed along the top of the wall under the drinking fountain, who should he run into but the old man and the hunchback, resting up against the ledge and talking. . . .”