the red seal(红印)-第16部分
按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
Baltimore。〃
〃Miss McIntyre？〃 Coroner Penfield put the next question in an
impressive manner。 〃On discovering the burglar why did you not call
your father？〃
〃My first impulse was to do so；〃 she answered promptly。 〃But on
leaving the library I passed the window； saw the policeman； and called
him in。〃 She shot a keen look at the coroner； and added softly； 〃The
policeman was qualified to make an arrest； my father would have had to
summon one had he been there。〃
〃Quite true；〃 acknowledged Penfield courteously。 〃Now； Miss
McIntyre； why did the prisoner so obligingly walk straight into a closet on
your arrival in the library？〃
〃I presume he was looking for a way out of the room and blundered
into it；〃 she explained。 〃There are seven doors opening from our library；
the prisoner may have heard me approaching； become confused； and
walked through the wrong door。〃
〃That is quite plausible … with an ordinary bona…fide burglar；〃 agreed
Penfield。 〃But was not Mr。 Turnbull acquainted with the architectural
arrangements of your house？〃
〃He was a frequent caller and an intimate friend；〃 she said； with
dignity。 〃As to his power of observation and his bump of locality I
64
… Page 65…
THE RED SEAL
cannot say。 The library was but dimly lighted。〃
〃Miss McIntyre；〃 Penfield spoke slowly。 〃Were you aware of the real
identity of the burglar？〃
〃I had no suspicion that he was not what he appeared；〃 she responded。
〃He said or did nothing after his arrest to give me the slightest inkling of
his identity。〃
Penfield raised his eyebrows and shot a look at the deputy coroner
before going on with his examination。
〃You knew Mr。 Turnbull intimately； and yet you did not recognize
him？〃 he asked。
〃He wore an admirable disguise。〃 Helen touched her lips with the tip
of her tongue； inwardly she longed for the glass of ice water which she
saw standing on the reporters' table。 〃Mr。 Turnbull's associates will tell
you that he excelled in amateur theatricals。〃
Penfield looked at her critically for a moment before continuing his
questions。 She bore his scrutiny with composure。
〃Officer O'Ryan has testified that you informed him you examined the
windows of your house；〃 he said； after a brief wait。 〃Did you find any
unlocked？〃
〃Yes； one was open in the little reception room off the front door。〃
〃What floor is the room on？〃
〃The ground floor。〃
〃Would it have been easy for any one to gain admittance through the
window without attracting attention in the street？〃 was Penfield's next
question。
〃Yes。〃
〃Miss McIntyre；〃 Penfield rose； 〃I have only a few more questions to
put to you。 Why did Mr。 Turnbull come to your house … a house where he
was a welcome visitor … in the middle of the night disguised。 as a
burglar？〃
The reporters as well as the spectators bent forward to catch her reply。
〃Mr。 Turnbull had a wager with my sister； Barbara；〃 she explained。
〃She bet him that he could not break into the house without being
discovered。〃
65
… Page 66…
THE RED SEAL
Penfield considered her answer before addressing her again。
〃Why didn't Mr。 Turnbull tell you who he was when you had him
arrested？〃 he asked。
Helen shrugged her shoulders。 〃I cannot answer that question； for I
do not know his reason。 If he had only confided in me〃 … her voice shook
…〃 he might have been alive to…day。〃
〃How so？〃 Penfield shot the question at her。
〃Because then he would have been spared the additional excitement of
his trip to the police station and the scene in court； which brought on his
attack of angina pectoris。〃
Penfield regarded her for a moment in silence。
〃I have no further questions； Miss McIntyre；〃 he said； and turned to
the morgue master。 〃Ask Miss Barbara McIntyre to come to the
platform。〃 Turning back to his table and the papers thereon he failed to
see the twins pass each other in the aisle。 They were identically attired
and when Coroner Penfield looked again at the witness chair； he stared in
surprise at its occupant。
〃I beg pardon； Miss McIntyre； I desire your sister to testify；〃 he
remarked。
〃I am Barbara McIntyre。〃 A haunting quality in her voice caught
Kent's attention； and he leaned eagerly forward； his eyes following each
movement of her nervous fingers； busily twisting her gloves inside and
out。
〃I beg your pardon；〃 exclaimed the coroner； recovering from his
surprise。 He had seen the twins at the police court on Tuesday morning
for a second only； and then his attention had been entirely centered on
Helen。 He had heard； but had not realized until that moment； how
striking was the resemblance between the sisters。
〃Miss McIntyre；〃 the coroner cleared his throat and commenced his
examination。 〃Where were you on Monday night？〃
〃At a dance given by Mr。 and Mrs。 Charles Grosvenor。〃
〃At what hour did you return？〃
〃I think it was half past five or a few minutes earlier。〃
〃Who let you in？〃
66
… Page 67…
THE RED SEAL
〃My sister。〃
〃Did you see the burglar？〃
〃He had left；〃 she answered。 〃My sister told me of her adventure as
we went upstairs to our rooms。〃
〃Miss McIntyre；〃 Penfield picked up a page of the deputy coroner's
closely written notes； and ran his eyes down it。 〃Your sister has testified
that James Turnbull went to your house disguised as a burglar on a wager
with you。 What were the terms of that wager？〃
〃I bet him that he could not enter the house after midnight without his
presence being detected by our new police dogs；〃 exclaimed Barbara
slowly。 She had stopped twirling her gloves about； and one hand was
firmly clenched over the arm of her chair。
〃Did the dogs discover his presence in the house？〃
〃Apparently not； or they would have aroused the household；〃 she said。
〃I cannot answer that question； though； because I was not at home。〃
〃Where are the dogs kept？〃
〃In the garage in the daytime。〃
〃And at night？〃 he persisted。
〃They roam about our house；〃 she admitted； 〃or sleep in the boudoir；
which is between my sister's bedroom and mine。
〃Were the dogs in the house on Monday night？〃
〃I did not see them on my return from the dance。〃
〃That is not an answer to my question； Miss McIntyre；〃 the coroner
pointed out。 〃Were the dogs in the house？〃
There was a distinct pause before she spoke。 〃I recall hearing our
butler； Grimes； say that he found the dogs in the cellar。 Mr。 Turnbull's
shocking death put all else out of my mind； I never once thought of the
dogs。〃
〃In spite of the fact that it was a wager over the dogs which brought
about the whole situation？〃 remarked the coroner dryly。
Barbara flushed at his tone； then grew pale。
〃I honestly forgot about the dogs；〃 she repeated。 〃Father sent them
out to our country place Tuesday afternoon； they annoyed our … our guest；
Mrs。 Brewster。〃
67
… Page 68…
THE RED SEAL
〃In what way？〃
〃By barking … 'they are noisy dogs。〃
〃And yet they did not arouse the household when Mr。 Turnbull broke
into the house … Coroner Penfield regarded her sternly。 〃How do you
account for that？〃
Barbara's right hand stole to the arm of her chair and clasped it with
the same convulsive strength that she clung to the other chair arm。 When
she spoke her voice was barely audible。
〃I can account for it in two ways；〃 she began。 〃If the dogs were
accidentally locked in the cellar they could not possibly hear Mr。 Turnbull
moving about the house； if they were roaming about and scented him； they
might not have barked because they would recognize him as a friend。〃
〃Were the dogs familiar with his step and voice？〃
〃Yes。 Only last Sunday he played with them for an hour； and later in
the afternoon took them for a walk in the country。〃
〃I see。〃 Penfield stroked his chin reflectively。 〃When your sister told
you of finding the burglar and his arrest； did you not； in the light of your
wager； suspect that he might be Mr。 Turnbull？〃
〃No。〃 Barbara's eyes did not falter before his direct gaze。 〃I
supposed that Mr。 Turnbull meant to try and enter the house in his own
proper person； it never dawned on me that he would resort to disguise。
Besides；〃 as the coroner started to make a remark； 〃we have had numerous
rob
