the red seal(红印)-第15章
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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？〃
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〃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。〃
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〃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
robberies in our neighborhood； and the apartment house two blocks from
us has had a regular epidemic of sneak thieves。〃
The coroner waited until Dr。 Mayo； who had been writing with
feverish haste； had picked up a fresh sheet of paper before resuming his
examination。
〃You accompanied your sister to the police court；〃 he said。 〃Did you
see the burglar there？〃
〃Yes。〃
〃Did you realize his identity in the court room？〃
〃No。 I only awoke to … to the situation when I saw him lying dead
with his wig removed。 The shock was frightful〃… she closed her eyes for
a second； for the room and the rows of faces confronting her were mixed
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in a maddening maze and she raised her hand to her swimming head。
When she looked up she found Coroner Penfield by her side。
〃That is all；〃 he said kindly。 〃Please remain in the witness room； I
may call you again；〃 and he helped her down the step with careful
attention。
Back in his corner Kent watched her departure。 He was white to the
lips。
〃Heat too much for you？〃 asked a kindly…faced stranger； and Kent
gave a mumbled 〃No；〃 as he strove to pull himself together。
What deviltry was afoot？ How dared the twins take such risks … to
bear false witness was a grave criminal offense。 He； alone； among all the
spectators； had realized that in testifying before the inquest； the twins had
swapped identities。
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CHAPTER IX
〃B…B…B〃
The return of the morgue master to the platform caused Coroner
Penfield to break off his whispered conversation with Dr。 Mayo。
〃Colonel McIntyre just telephoned that his car had a blow…out on the
way here；〃 explained the morgue master。 〃He will arrive shortly。〃
Penfield consulted a list of names。 〃Call Grimes； the McIntyre
butler；〃 he said。 〃We will hear him while waiting for the Colonel。〃
Grimes； small and thin； with the stolid countenance of the well…trained
servant； was exceedingly short in his replies to the coroner's questions。
Yes； he had lived with the McIntyre during their residence in Washington；
something like five years； he couldn't quite remember the exact dates。
No； there was never any quarreling； upstairs or down； it was a well…
ordered household until this。
〃Exactly；〃 remarked the coroner dryly。 〃What about Monday night？
Tell us； Grimes； what occurred in that house between midnight Monday
and five o'clock Tuesday morning。〃
〃Haven't much to tell；〃 was the grumpy response。 〃I went upstairs
about half…past eleven and got down the next morning at the usual hour；
seven o'clock。〃
〃And you heard no disturbing sounds in the night？〃
〃No； sir。 We wouldn't be likely to； the servants' rooms are all at the
top of the house and the staircase leading to them has a brick wall on
either side； like stairs leading to an ordinary attic； and there's a door at the
bottom which shuts off all sound from below。〃 It was the longest
sentence the butler had indulged in and he paused for breath。
〃Who closes the house at night。 Grimes？〃
〃I do； sir。
〃Why did you leave the window in the reception room open？〃
〃I didn't； sir；〃 was the prompt denial。 〃I had just locked it when Mrs。
Brewster came in； along with Colonel McIntyre and Mr。 Clymer； and they
sat down to talk。 When I left the room the window was locked fast； and
so was every door and window in the place；〃 he declared aggressively。 〃
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I'll take my dying oath to it； sir。〃 Penfield looked at Grimes； that he was
telling the truth was unmistakable。
〃Who sits up to let in the young ladies when they go to balls？〃 he
asked。
〃Generally no one； sir； because Colonel McIntyre accompanies them
or calls for them； and he has his latch…key。 Lately；〃 added Grimes as an
after…thought； 〃Miss Helen has been using a duplicate latch…key。〃
〃Has Miss Barbara McIntyre a latch…key； also？〃 asked Penfield。
〃No； sir； I believe not；〃 the butler looked dubious。 〃I recall that
Colonel McIn
