The Herapath Property

pres

terrogator. He was a little, shrewd-eyed fellow, and it seemed to Selwood, who had watched him carefully during the informal examination to which Barthor

th from the House of Commons last night?" began Bart

always had the brougham at night-and most times

you meet hi

in Palace Yard-jus

ime was

sir-the clock was just chimin

ath alone when

stranger to me, sir. The two of 'em stood talk

ar anything

. Herapath, sir, as him and

us the words, as nea

r me tomorrow, and I'll look in at yo

appened

r, and Mr. Herapath came to the brougham, and tol

up to this do

r-he always got out of the brougham in the road outsi

ould you see if there was a

just short of the ent

say anything to yo

ree-quarters of an hour here, and that I'd bet

see anybody about the entrance? Did you see any per

archway I threw a rug over the mare and walked

nothing of him unti

ing,

g was he awa

r than three-q

view of the entran

of the time I was-some

the archway during the time M

, s

have come here during that t

yes,

rapath came out. Wher

sir-right opposite that st

anything par

y across, opened the door,

ice anything un

g his head down rather as he came acros

o Portman Square, then. Wh

one o'clo

tain about

t five minutes past one w

want to know exactly what happened when you d

hing happened! At least, I mean to say, there was nothing happened that didn't always happen on such occasions-Mr. Herapath got out of the brougham,

lly see him en

f the head. "I couldn't say that I did that. I saw h

t's all

ll I know

nt's hesitation, turned

ng that occurs t

m not going to ask any questions now. I suppose all you want at

s it. Well, Kitteridge, it's your turn. Who found ou

n he went into the bedroom this morning Mr. Herapath wasn't there, and the bed hadn't been slept in. Then Charlesworth came and told me

t from-what?" a

or Mr. Herapath. Not much, sir-whisky and soda, a sandwich

se might hav

ime, and he told me that he'd seen Mr. Herapath letting himself

aid. "You, Kitteridge, and you, Mountain, can go home. Don't talk-that is, don't talk any more than is necessary. I suppose," he went on, tu

n the body's been removed, you'll join me in making a thorough inspection of the room? We haven't done that yet, you know, and it should be done.

two officers had left the room and motioned her to rise. "Now, Peggie," he said, "you must go home. I shall come along there myself in an hour or two-there are things

r without demur or comment. But as she was

s come into the room j

at Peggie had heard the brief exchange of words

oor when we were all coming in?" he ask

but I couldn't catch what was said," she r

h refused to admit Mr.

he exclaimed

ted Selwood. "Th

and gave him a

ck to the house when-when you

wood. "You see, I-I, of course, don't know exactly where I

her look, more enigm

hat Barthorpe wants just now, but come on to Portman Square as soon as you've don

moved off. And as he set his foot on the first step a young man came runn

n at the police-station just now, and they told me of what had happened here, so I rushed along. Will you tell me all about it, Mr. Selwood?-it'll be a real scoop for me-I'l

otioned him to follow, and led him into the hall to where

ly, looking at Barthorpe. "Mr. Triffitt, of

ho had almost recovered his breath, pulled out a card and presente

ch seem to me to be of importance. Tell of the man who came out of the House of Commons with my uncle last night-ask him if he'll come forward. And, as my uncle must have returned to this office after he'd b

s he wanted. Finding that he was getting a first-class story, Triffitt asked no questions and made no interrup

id. "This is a

range?" as

xclaimed Triffitt. "It's about a dead certainty that Herapath w

said S

means he died at twelve o'clock-an hour before he's supposed to have been at his house! Queer! But all the queerer, all the

. If the doctor was right and Jacob Herapath had been shot dead at midnight, how o

of C