The Crime of the French Café and Other Stories

statement can har

e prisoner. If Gaspard's identification could be di

rbut had been murdered in a flat which was rented by

in the cab with Corbut. And Harrigan, the only w

a plot had been carefully laid, with the

ad decoyed Corbut to the vacant flat and murdered him there. It was easy to

enemy's connivance that the trunks

retch who had done all t

hed through the mind of the superintendent, in

at Nick for

nt, Mr. Hammond," said Nick. "Hav

from the restaurant on the night when she met her death. I can call one of the most pro

oduced a gre

kept silence

ng as his conscience would permit. I call

my innocence. He agreed to be si

he dead woman

ot the le

d not k

t was a chance acquaintance. I met

-third street. You know what wonder

e. I picked it up and handed it to her

under some secret grief which nearly drove her to tears. In an

ng in her manner warned me that she was a la

r that restaurant. How we came there I do not know. I paid no attent

is late and I am hungr

was glad enough to comply. We went into th

into my head, and then Corbut sho

urprised at my companion's behavior. She paced up and down the room, and e

e said, 'I'd like to hear what those

playfully took hold of her. Then I

ad a pistol

turned upon me

et's see something real funny. Yes, I must go. You run out now and get the tickets. There's

get rid of me. Well, I had no objection. That pistol had s

e street, my courage came back, and also my curio

kets and hurried back. I

ere dead, with the pistol by her

r help, but fear overcame me. I looked around

ummon him. I t

read relief in all the faces. The mystery was solved. The i

the ring of truth. Neither the superintendent nor Nick nor a

Hammond continued, "I thought I saw a chance to sav

If we had known at the outset what we know now, Mr. Jones might have b

ntendent. "How do you accou

he took some money and a diamond ring. There was th

ab. He was decoyed to that flat by some woman, probably

w, if Mr. Jones would only explain how he happened to be at that rest

nd was telling his story, and when Nick added his explanat

" he said. "My wife and

in a terrible voice. "Don't

ered Jones' mouth with her hand

and the wretch has fallen into it. Jones,

the woman's grasp. "I tell you that I was in room A. Th

id Nick. "It was co