The Deep Lake Mystery
loser and pushing aside the gray hair,
riven into the skull with such force that it showed merely as a metal disk. Having been hi
but it was far too firmly faste
or asked, helplessly. "Shall we
diagnosis of apoplexy was most natural in the circumstances, for the symptoms are the same. I, too, thought death was the result of an apoplect
I can hardly believe a human being capable of such a horror! Mr. Moore, you
this terrible tragedy as a problem after Moore's own heart seemed
hat he would investigate the murder,
peech by a noncommittal nod a
a man of brute passions and brute strength. That nail is almost imbedded in the bone, and, I fancy, needed more than one
Griscom, the butler,
called pop-eyes. He stared in a frightened manner, but
er's tea at nine o'clock, as
ed in the morning?"
I knock and Mr. Tracy would get up and open
locked, and the key in
, but when there was no
re you
ake more exercise. I've been with the master a long time, sir, and I had the privilege of a bit of talk with him now and then. So I did try to persuade him t
Moore said, "wha
to Mr. E
eved voice of Harper Ames. "Why did he do tha
re instructe
the chauffeur-and tell him to bring some tools, I did that, and Louis first pushed the key out
cam
d Mrs. Fenn-she's the housekeeper-she saw
you s
saw him, sir. Just as he is now, except
hat was locked, the entr
he only one connecting th
what about t
't been tou
all of these windows overlooked the deep, black waters of the Sunless Sea. It had been the whim of the man to have his quarters thus, to be surrounded on all sides by the water of the lake that h
w these rooms
lroom, sir.
g room, bathroom and sitting room, Moore said, slowly:
he didn't say they were inaccessible
drop to the lake was about fifteen or more feet. The outer walls of marble presented no footh
said, at last, having looked out of every one. "I sup
about that. He and all the household had latchkeys, and the fron
as lat
ousekeeper. Then there are others which
, one may have been abstracte
. We keep strict
e. How could anyone get into and out of Mr. Trac
m. He had often said to me, "if you don't want a question asked of you, ask it yourself of s
us voice volleyed
business, Moore," he said. "That's
stand this
I should think you would see the matter in
y sleeve. And first of all, I'm keen to avenge my friend. And I kno
s to haste being advisable. The circumstances were so peculiar, the conditions so fantastic, that search for
and Keeley Moore consulted a few mom
ediate inquiry, preliminary to his formal inquest. No one may leave the house; you, Griscom, will tell the servants this, and I shall call in more
y a detective. He locked the door that commanded t
d hear women's voices in a smal
derate size and contained several desks or writing tables, evidently a writing room
nd pleasure. Save for the sinister atmosphere now pe
ervants one at a time. He also told the butler to serve breakfast as usual, and advis
The realization of the awful facts of the case
n. She corroborated Griscom's story of the locked door and the subs
Moore, kindly, for the poor woman wa
as a good master an
the guests of the house,
I'm housekeeper, to be sure, but the maids do
out any one who had an enmity
entle, peaceable man, was Mr. T
t in, and then he dismissed Mrs. F
of any guest or neighbour who was unfriendly to M
nclined to talk. In fact, he refused to do so unless
dy out except Farrell and Dete
and declared that Mr. Ames and
his own against Ames. But Hart listened avidly to the chauffeur's a
that the two men were continually quarrelling
oney matters?"
wed Mr. Tracy a great deal of money and he couldn't
uarrelling on o
now and then ab
at abou
idn't want Mr. Tr
favour the l
so. No, but he didn't want Mr. Tracy to marry anybody
know all t
an't help hearing them. They make no bones of it, they talk right out. I n
. So Mr. Ames would suffer fin
ut I know he thought he wo
t to know the terms of Mr. Tracy's will
"and anyway, this is merely a preliminary inq
. A chambermaid, one Sally Bray, convinced us that all the queer decorations spread on
ble, and the whole bunch had been removed from the vase and laid around the dead man. The orange and crackers had been on a plate on the bedside
Hart. "The red chiffon scar
t she knew it to be a scarf belonging to Mrs. Dallas, and the lady had l
n returned to her?"
the lady, sir, and, too, Mr. Tracy was that fond of beautiful thing
his love for beautiful things, and that would explain the flower
've not been allowed
ell the guard he's to let
ren't! Don't mak
with real fear, bu
. But it is important for me to know if anything has been taken away that you know of. I don
ing, and Hart finished up the re
n a fancy to Everett, and somehow, from the way
his eyes were alert and showed a sense of humour. Not that the occasion called f
e but a little detached. He was quite ready to answer quest
short time over a cigar and a whisky and soda. Then, perhaps about ten o'clock, he had said good night to his employer and had gone t
t in easy enough, but I don't see how he could
little sententiously, "where there has
ore spoke
said, "unless the murderer stays there. If the mur
get out?" de
not through the door to the hall. Remains the
unusual burst of unasked information. "I've been here three
If Mr. Tracy wanted a private entrance to his suite for any
man. I think I may say I knew all about his affairs, both busi
s of most men there is some secret, somethi
ver with me, both before it occurred and since. I know all about his habits and his fads and
ut if none can be found, then the murde
t?" ask
ide. But this I don't think likely, for the door has a rather com
of his will, then?"
rvants, but the bulk of the estate goes to Miss Remsen. Mr. Tracy knew that his marriage would invalidate this will, which was w
isting will, Mrs. D
without telling me. He may have done
had sufficient enmity toward M
he hadn't an acquaintance in the world w
ssed and Billy De
. His work was far from being as important as Everett's. In
a curly mop of brown hair. He too, scoffed a
gh it in no time. I can ferret out anything queer of that sort by instinct, and there's nothing doing. There's no way in and out
e afraid of
robberies down in the village and he sa
n, how did the man who killed M
nybody twisting that peculiar key with a bit of wire. Though that's
dows are not
there is mighty de
cially d
s Sea, as Mr. Tracy named it, is in a cove and the winds make the water eddy about, and-wel
er mechanician or an expert diver," said
. Tracy's head. He loved him, as, indeed, we all did. Nobody could help
?" asked the Coroner. "She,
n blushed
, but no clairvoyance was need
d Moore, knowing we
ned her so soon as we knew what had
he Coroner, "and please