"I'll tell you later. There are one or two points I must clear up before I order the arrest. I'd like to drop in and have a talk with Doctor Kraus first. I believe he can furnish what little information I require."
"This is Mr. Peck, Doctor Kraus," Ward said as the pair entered the doctor's study ten minutes later.
"It's a pleasure," Mr. Peck conceded coolly. He drew a newspaper clipping from his pocket and handed it to Doctor Kraus. "To settle an argument, would you read this and give me your opinion?"
The doctor read the clipping through hastily.
"Why trepanning is nothing new," he scoffed. "The ancient Egyptians practiced it successfully five thousand years ago. They...."
"Never mind," Mr. Peck interrupted sharply. "I don't care a rap if the practice is new or old." He glanced sharply at Ward, who stood gaping in astonishment, then back at the doctor. "The point is, Doctor Kraus, how does it happen that you are able to read fine news print and yet, while performing autopsies on nine different corpses, you missed the fact that each of those persons had died from a shot of xetholine caniopus as was clearly indicated by the red blotches on the face of each individual victim?"
Doctor Kraus stiffened and stared at his inquisitor with cold precision.
"I'm afraid I don't quite follow you, Mr. Peck," he said smoothly.
"That likewise makes little difference. I also note that your toes point out considerably more than the toes of the average person."