第 17 节
作者:淋雨      更新:2021-10-16 18:43      字数:9322
  telling her that she would have to appear in the Police Court first thing that
  morning; I went off with the prisoner。〃
  〃Were there lights in the house?〃 questioned Penfield。
  〃Only dim ones in the halls and two bulbs turned on in the library; it's
  a   big   room   though;   and   they   hardly   made   any   light   at   all;〃   explained
  O'Ryan; he was particular as to details。            〃I used handcuffs on the prisoner;
  thinking maybe  he'd   give  me   the  slip   in the  dim  light; but   there  was   no
  fight or flight in him。〃
  〃Did he talk to you on the way to the station house?〃
  〃No;   sir;   and   at   the   station   he   was   just   as   quiet;   only   answered   the
  questions the desk sergeant put to him; and that was all;〃 stated 0' Ryan。
  Penfield   laid   down   his   memorandum   pad。          〃All   right;   O'Ryan;   you
  may retire;〃 and at the words the policeman left the platform and the room。
  He was followed by the police sergeant who had been on desk duty at the
  Eighth Precinct on Tuesday morning。               His testimony simply corroborated
  O'Ryan's   statement   that   the   prisoner   had   done   and   said   nothing   which
  would indicate that he was other than he seemed … a housebreaker。
  Coroner Penfield paused before calling the next witness and drank a
  glass of ice water; the weather had turned unseasonably hot; and the room
  in   which   inquests   were   held;   was   stifling;   in   spite   of   the   long   opened
  windows at either end。
  〃Call Miss Helen McIntyre;〃 Penfield said to the morgue master; and
  the latter crossed to the door leading to the room where sat the witnesses。
  There was instant craning of necks to catch a glimpse of the society girl
  about whom; with her twin sister; so much interest centered。
  Helen   was   extremely   pale   as   she   advanced   up   the   room;   but   Kent;
  watching her closely; was relieved to see none of the nervousness which
  had   been   so   marked   at   their   interview   that   morning。     She   was   dressed
  with   fastidious   taste;   and   as   she   mounted   the   platform   after   the   morgue
  master had administered the oath; Coroner Penfield rose and; with a polite
  gesture; indicated the chair she was to occupy。
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  〃I   am    Helen    McIntyre;〃      she   announced      c1ear1y。      〃Daughter      of
  Colonel Charles McIntyre。〃
  〃Tell us the circumstances attending the arrest of James Turnbull; alias
  John Smith; in your house on Tuesday morning; Miss McIntyre;〃 directed
  the coroner; seating himself at his table; on which were writing materials。
  〃I   was   sitting   up   to   let   in   my  sister;   who   had   gone   to   a   dance;〃   she
  began;   〃and   fearing   I   would   fall   asleep   I   went   down   into   the   library;
  intending to sit in one of the window recesses and watch for her arrival。
  As I entered the library I saw a figure steal across the room and disappear
  inside a closet。      I was very frightened; but had sense enough left to cross
  softly  to   the   closet   and   lock   the   door。〃 She   paused   in   her   rapid   recital
  and drew a long breath; then continued more slowly:
  〃I   hurried   to   the   window   and   across   the   street   I   saw   a   policeman
  standing     under    a  lamp…post。     It   took   but  a  minute    to  call  him。    The
  policeman opened the closet door; put handcuffs on Mr。 Turnbull and took
  him away。〃
  Coroner   Penfield;   as   well   as   the   jurors;   followed   her   statement   with
  absorbed attention。        At its end he threw down his pencil and spoke briefly
  to the deputy coroner; who had been busily engaged in taking notes of the
  inquest; and then he turned to Helen。
  〃You heard no sound before entering the library?〃
  〃No one walking about the house?〃 he persisted。
  〃No。〃     She   followed   the   negative   with   a   short   explanation。      〃I   lay
  down on my bed soon after dinner; not feeling very well; and slept through
  the early hours of the night。〃
  〃At what hour did you wake up?〃
  〃About four o'clock; or a little after。〃
  〃Then   you   were   awake   an   hour   before   you   discovered   the   supposed
  burglar in your library?〃
  〃Y…yes;〃 Helen's hesitation was faint。           〃About that length of time。〃
  〃And you heard no unusual sounds in that hour's interval?〃
  〃I heard nothing〃   …   her   manner was slightly  defiant   and   Kent's   heart
  sank; if he had only thought to warn her not to antagonize the coroner。
  〃Where were you during that hour?〃
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  〃Lying   down;〃   promptly。        〃Then;   afraid   I   would   drop   off   to   sleep
  again; I went downstairs。〃
  Coroner Penfield consulted his notes before asking another question。
  〃Who lives in your house beside you and your twin sister?〃 he asked。
  〃My     father;   Colonel     McIntyre;     our   house    guest;   Mrs。    Louis     C。
  Brewster;   and   five   servants;〃   she   replied。    〃Grimes;   the   butler;   Martha;
  our    maid;   Jane;   the   chambermaid;       Hope;    our   cook;   and   Thomas;      our
  second man; the chauffeur; Harris; the scullery maid; and the laundress do
  not stay at night。〃
  〃Who      were    at  home    beside    yourself    on  Monday      night    and   early
  Tuesday morning?〃
  〃My   father   and   Mrs。   Brewster;   I   believe   the   servants   were   in   also;
  except     Thomas;      who     had   asked    permission      to   spend    the   night   in
  Baltimore。〃
  〃Miss     McIntyre?〃      Coroner      Penfield    put   the   next   question    in  an
  impressive   manner。        〃On   discovering   the   burglar   why   did   you   not   call
  your father?〃
  〃My   first   impulse   was   to   do   so;〃   she   answered   promptly。     〃But   on
  leaving   the   library   I   passed   the   window;   saw   the   policeman;   and   called
  him   in。〃   She   shot   a   keen   look   at   the   coroner;   and   added   softly;   〃The
  policeman was qualified to make an arrest; my father would have had to
  summon one had he been there。〃
  〃Quite     true;〃   acknowledged         Penfield    courteously。       〃Now;      Miss
  McIntyre; why did the prisoner so obligingly walk straight into a closet on
  your arrival in the library?〃
  〃I presume he was looking for a way out of the room and blundered
  into it;〃 she explained。       〃There are seven doors opening from our library;
  the   prisoner    may    have    heard   me    approaching;     become      confused;    and
  walked through the wrong door。〃
  〃That is quite plausible … with an ordinary bona…fide burglar;〃 agreed
  Penfield。     〃But   was   not   Mr。   Turnbull   acquainted   with   the   architectural
  arrangements of your house?〃
  〃He    was    a  frequent    caller  and   an   intimate   friend;〃   she   said;  with
  dignity。     〃As   to   his   power   of   observation   and   his   bump     of   locality   I
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  cannot say。     The library was but dimly lighted。〃
  〃Miss McIntyre;〃 Penfield spoke slowly。             〃Were you aware of the real
  identity of the burglar?〃
  〃I had no suspicion that he was not what he appeared;〃 she responded。
  〃He said or did nothing after his arrest to give me the slightest inkling of
  his identity。〃
  Penfield   raised   his   eyebrows   and   shot   a   look   at   the   deputy   coroner
  before going on with his examination。
  〃You   knew   Mr。   Turnbull   intimately;   and   yet   you   did   not   recognize
  him?〃 he asked。
  〃He wore an admirable disguise。〃            Helen touched her lips with the tip
  of her  tongue; inwardly she  longed   for the  glass   of ice  water  which she
  saw standing on the reporters' table。           〃Mr。 Turnbull's associates will tell
  you that he excelled in amateur theatricals。〃
  Penfield   looked   at   her   critically   for   a   moment   before   continuing   his
  questions。     She bore his scrutiny with composure。
  〃Officer O'Ryan has testified that you informed him you examined the
  windows of your house;〃 he said; after a brief wait。                〃Did you find any
  unlocked?〃
  〃Yes; one was open in the little reception room off the front door。〃
  〃What floor is the room on?〃
  〃The ground floor。〃
  〃Would it have been easy for any one to gain admittance through the
  window   without   at