The Deep Lake Mystery
was an inter
p some information or some bits of evidence that meant a l
wasted on a crime session and I looked about at the c
nto its black depths was enough to deter the stoutest heart from an unnecessary dive therein. But an escaping murderer, if brave enough to risk the danger, and skilled enough in diving and sufficiently familiar w
, could never have committed that brutal murder, and then have d
ooking men from the large estates that bordered the whole length of Deep Lake. Some were grave, some seemed unable to
ed by several friends, and I also noted the young gir
who impressed me strongly. Never have I seen a face of more determination and
She lived with the girl in her island home, and surely no one
l and gaunt of figure and possessed a large, bony face whose stern, set m
o whom all the experiences of life were as an open book. She had the look of a witc
ng glance and finally concentrated her attention on the coroner,
ttle to contemplate
ed a face that was clearly worn and wan from a sleepless night. At least it seemed that way to me, and I longed to tell her her secret was safe with me. Never would I
and I had never had a word of conversatio
owledgment, and then, to my amazemen
or heard some word that alarmed her, but in my heart I felt
into that of the nurse beside her, and I n
girl, and she gave a litt
ning. Garbed all in black, yet a black that hinted Paris in its every line and fold, her beautiful fac
lips and cheeks, quite evidently the result of a well-equ
es Everett, the post of chief mourner
seemed to me there was an undercurrent of
ne, and as the person most deeply affected by the tragedy,
er to the jury, we had heard their stories before,
Tracy's rooms except two of his fancy wai
cy's previous possession of these three article
ld throw any light on the mystery of the criminal's entra
hough all inherited a sum of money by his will, there seemed no r
rt, and he told the jury succinctly and clearly the details of the death and how bo
tive, noticed there was a tiny metal disk visible through the hair of the dead man. Investigation proved this to be the head of a n
n, through the bone?" ask
driving instrument, and a strong hand, as well as a cal
pitcher and the absence of the plate that had held the fruit and the crackers. But these things were merely
tter, and I felt a deep interest as
ager to learn what the visitor
belligerent, and I wondered whether the Coroner wou
the circumstances of your return to this hou
, perhaps for that reason, it se
e from a dinner party next door, about eleven o'clock. I chatted with M
hould take the case. Was this a gigantic bluff? I mean, could it be that Ames was himself the murderer, and sought to escape suspicion by frankly as
dea whether Ames was the murderer or not, but if so, then
suave, pleasant way, calculate
racy's best fri
We have known each other from boyhood, and though we bandied
ed him
y into a rage. Then, apparently thinking better of it
s let me owe him money for a long time, and as he had no ob
said, "and I propose to use
nd now Ames's frown
est of many thousands. It is a
get angry at the Coroner. If Hart suspected his witness he
ked amazed at the way things were going. Then we both realized that this was doubtless Hart's first murder case. Such things didn't often happen up he
the query, "Are
s gave a sa
t jump out of the window of his locked room, and I didn't bedeck his bed with fl
imperturbable, "but I have only y
drive a nail into his half-witted head, and the
I have been trying to engage the services of the famous Mr. Moore to take on this case, and to discove
himself, he might have put forth this very line of argument. He might have deman
up to me to deci
tance finished up Ames's testimony
d in the fall. She said they occasionally had little differences, but always made them up and were really very fond of one anoth
s Remsen. But, she added, he had told her that after they were married, he would change his will and make suitable ar
ght have formed in the minds of the jury. Surely, Mrs. Dallas
gaged pair had had, and which had resulted in Mr
larmed. Had Hart omitted the point in order to tax Alma herself with it later? To ask her what was the tale her uncle
taries follow
lways, answered questions readily enough
had been with Mr. Tracy until about ten o'clo
nusual sounds d
but it seemed to m
for he said, "Are you quite sure?
thful man. But it was equally eviden
n answer, Mr. Everett,"
that I thought I heard the sound of a bo
sort o
artially awaked and seemed to hear a slight sound as of paddles. B
the time th
asleep some hours. I thought nothing of
look out of
n't rise f
't! That he hadn't seen Alma Remsen,
he gave no sign of doing so, and the rest of the inquiries
man was chipper as always and told all h
n the night as of a passi
uld have been well but that the silly chap turned brick
ention of embarrassing him, "why a
dder yet. "But you barge into me with sudd
nto the enemy's quarters succeeded, as I was sure he had hoped
boat?" Hart went
elve o'clock," Dean said, reminiscently. "I
dently believed he had seen Alma Remsen in her canoe, I k
ard no furt
Everett rapped on my doo
e a good effect on the jury, I could see that. Since they didn't have my knowledge of the
quest that suspicion centred on the inmates of the hou
Remsen w
e to the witness chair. She took another chair beside Alma, and her b
?" the Coroner said. It was more a statement than a question, and it
nd I hoped nobody except me noti
r lips were not trembling, her eyes were clear and steady in their gaze, but the eyeli
e you that
in my ow
he eve
es
your com
. My housekeep
orate your prese
st courteous, but i
Alma. "Will you
home all Wednesday
s voice was respectful
all n
, sir, o
of co
s if to a dull child, "if she was in all ev
her car
she was born. I am now her house
pression of one who was tolerating the inquiries of a lot of
in an is
eing no reason why Mrs. Merivale should be
s with her uncle, her expectations at his death, and to all the girl replied w
art said,
sen, but it must be said. You are the one
of fear, but again I detected that slight quiv
opportunity to
ed, and I noticed the lines around the firm
ess a latchkey
was a smile of relief. "Yes, I have alway
he
t to live on the island he bade me keep it so I co
you what we ca
y be true, but I didn't come over here with my latchkey and kill my uncle and trick out his bed with flowers. The motiv
d I been one of those jurymen I could not have helped believing in the sin
ou know nothing of th
repeated, and now I saw th
Where are those two waistcoats that disa
the sligh
been found, and they were found u
oatho
em was the Totem Pole that
ot out and clasped the
"a deep-laid plot to incrim