The Deep Lake Mystery

lly, is t

one more queer thing. He found Mr.

arrell exclaimed. "Was th

ly full. And down at the b

inary. Is the

k it out of the pitcher, but I

ve no more astonishing bits of inf

we looked at one another,

y Moore said, with an impat

the word 'tawdry'?" asked Hart. "I

d, but just at present, I can't think that the person who killed Sampson Tracy is the person who stuck the feather duster behind hi

's find out a litt

at the water pitcher was a pitcher of drinking wa

" Griscom informed us. "He said they never se

d the watch, w

r, it w

ime had it

an air of one expecting a piece of impor

rrying. That is still under his pillow. This watch I found in the pitc

as it

eweller and have it put in order. The mainspring is broken, you see. But he didn't decide

tch and deliberately dropped

be the tr

lightest disposition toward a

d, sir. Nothin

nk killed Mr. T

not surprised to see the butler turn pale and gr

n't kno

t know. I'm asking

an I think, b

y would he do

ody with motive. Mr. Ames had

You're very glib with your 'motive and o

es a latc

house, I mean in the

locked at night. About half

after the deed and leave the

s were going to explain. But kill my master somebody did, and get out

passage, I

swear there's no secret

not kno

s. You can measure it up and you'll find there's no bit of space unaccounted for. The rooms

sure? You been e

el I've got to find out the truth of this whole th

interest. It was evident he thought the man k

They frowned a little, and the Inspector advised the bu

emembering his wife's hint of blackberry

"If you want me here, I will come when summoned, but otherwise I'll st

be adjourned. I confess I'm in a quandary. I scarcely know whi

id, gravely. "But I think you

the lock

room. That will explain itsel

hese bizarre clues w

those out at once. It's the hunt that is hard. The quarry is elusive

f, leaving behind us a greatly pe

nveyed us home, and by good luc

e, and Kee refused to talk about the tragedy at all until

hbours and tradesmen, but they had not been inquisitive, pre

of us sat down f

lated, and I couldn't help admiring the straightforward, clean-cut story he to

evidence that I seemed the only one to know. Apparently no one but myself had seen Alma

and abetting a criminal, but, shameless that I was, I

o impossible. Go to his house, she did. Stay there about an hour, she did. But kill him, no! Perhaps she saw the deed committed, perhaps she

y drag the girl into detestable prominence, and have her wrongl

Maud Merrill was no less interested. I had great respect for the inte

said Lora, as Kee f

's positively nobody in th

st eliminat

ora told him, "but we can guess

ue

ngs were already in the room. As clues, they all go for nothing. The murderer was not necessarily a man o

about and laid it on the bed to fog things up. So what about motive? I can't imagine any one w

amoured of the beautiful Mrs. Dalla

murder to get her. And if he did, he wouldn't choose such a horrible, brutal

nail business indicates a low type of personality.

iscom was not the man he suspected. He had a way of drawing out other people

ate of that house is suspect. Farrell told me that Mr. Tracy's will left a substantial

let's begin at the top. What ha

gerent disposition, his love for Mrs. Dallas and

," cried Maud Merrill. "Why do

le here last evening, I realized that whatever he calls himself, he's no woman hater where Mrs. Da

ey fall hard. Yes, Ames is head over ears in love with the lady, and for that very reason, he's out of the running. A man isn't goi

id, "in which Ames lost his head, or his temper, or bot

f rage, it was a premeditated affair. Whoever did

The nail could have been driv

as w

I remember them, and said, a little lamely, "Well

assented, "but it do

d what it was driven with is unimportant. As far as I can learn, they've found nothing conclusive in the way of finger

said, "and that's the only thing that matters. I don't give a fi

ch in the water p

he water pitcher. In fact, I think that'

I told him. "You can't say th

etective never explains

l detective," I d

and he glow

k-nosed, or hawk-somethinged. Now, a real detective must always look utterly u

rself you're my Watson, you must cultivate

ting," put in Maud. "Who h

ld her, "but I can deduce your meani

are too many counts against him. I say, let's begin

vised. "That girl never had the nerv

d. "Though she may have

that they could have had opportunity. The house servants, at an

he door wasn't locked when the murderer went

ervant had a motive, if you count greed a motive, and every servant had a chance to get into the room unnoticed. Now it a

and sounded the walls thoroughly. So it's either that the criminal had some clever mechanical c

lake!" c

er, and it is a most dangerous proceeding, ev

Dean an expert

t is. D

the Dallas, too. Well, we can

ed. "He must realize he will be suspected, if not convi

always think ahea

that horrible nail. We've no reason to think there w

out somebody being kill

led Sisera, or Sisera killed Jael, I forget which, bu

t I don't mean that story. The

y, by Pedro de Alarcón. The name of it is The Nail. It's a horribl

ess something had suggested it to him. I say that eliminates all the servants, unless, maybe, that chauffeur chap, Louis. I can't see any of t

d Italian mystery tales. I have it at home, but there's no

rsisted. "When we do find the murderer, we

the Bible

e Scripture narrative is not very dramatic, and so, less likely to

aid, "can't we eliminate the servants?

e can always go back to them if need be. That leaves us, i

e's the very one to read mor

Lora said. "Especially the grave and reverend se

ry," Maud informed us. "It w

acy wouldn't let him have it, so, as he would not only get a large bequest at Tracy's death, but, for all we know, could bury in oblivion his indebted

nceive of Ames in a murderer's r?le. But I happen to know he is no diver.

ver, and had kept it secret for this ver

here to commit that murder and escape by the window, it would be in keepi

tly elated at Moore's word of praise. "But before we go on, what

e talked about books. We didn't talk very seriously, but I gathe

l have a bequest, and of course, he could get out of the room as well as anybody else, and

rant a murderer may masquerade as an angel of light, but all the same, we have to judge our fellow men

ving out Billy

oung for a murderer, at least, with no motive other than

in love with t

n love with that nice girl, he's not going t

only servant we could possibly suspect, and he is said to be devoted to his master, an

t of character it connotes," I said. "I stan

and Keeley rose and stretched his long

e of Deep Lake was an ideal bathtub, and I forgot for