“Was it the same corner where Tatters was attacked?”
“Yes, near the radiator. He seemed to be interested in something there when I left the room. I was gone not more than two minutes.”
“Lock the door after you?”
“It has a special spring lock which I had put on it.”
Average Jones crossed over and looked at the contrivance. Then his glance fell to a huge, old-fashioned keyhole below the new fastening. “You didn’t use that larger lock?”
“No. I haven’t for months. The key is lost, I think.”
Retracing his steps the investigator sighted the hole from the radiator, and shook his head.
“It’s not in range,” he said. “Go on.”
“As I reached the door on my return, I heard Rags yelp. You may believe I got to him quickly. He was pawing wildly at his nose. I called up the nearest veterinary. Within ten minutes the convulsions came on. The veterinary was here when Rags died, which was within fifteen minutes of the first spasm. He didn’t believe it was strychnine. Said the attacks were different. Whatever it was, I couldn’t find any trace of it in the stomach. The veterinary took the body away and made a complete autopsy.”
“Did he discover anything?”