the red seal(红印)-第34章
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〃When are you to see Mrs。 Brewster？〃 he asked。
〃She will be at our office at four o'clock。 Say； Phil〃 … but Rochester；
shaking off his detaining hand； darted across the street and sprang into a
passing taxi bearing the sign； 〃For Hire；〃 and that was the last Kent had
seen of his elusive partner。
Kent dropped into his chair and glanced askance at the mail piled in
neat array on his desk； he was not in a frame of mind to handle routine
office business。 Other clients would have to wait until later in the day。
A memorandum pad； bearing a message in Sylvester's precise penmanship
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attracted his wandering attention and he picked it up。
〃Mr。 Kent：〃 he read。 〃Colonel McIntyre called just after I talked with
you on the 'phone； he waited in your office for half an hour； then left；
stating he would come back。 Miss Barbara McIntyre called immediately
afterwards； but would not wait more than five minutes。 Mr。 Clymer came
as she was going out and left a note on your desk。 I will return soon。
〃SYLVESTER。〃
Kent laid down the pad and picked up a twisted three…cornered note
bearing his name in pencil。 Unfolding it； he scanned the hurriedly
written lines：
〃Dear Kent … McIntyre telephoned there were new developments in the
Turnbull affair。 Will be back later。〃Yours …
〃B。 A。 CLYMER。〃
Kent judged from the use of his initials that Clymer was stirred out of
his ordinary calm； nothing else explained his failure to sign his full name；
and he wondered what confidences McIntyre had made to the bank
president。
Tossing down the note； Kent lighted his pipe； tilted back in his swivel
chair； and reviewed the facts which implicated Rochester in Jimmie
Turnbull's murder。 Rochester's quarrels with Jimmie； his persistent
assertion that his friend had died from angina pectoris； his unexplained
disappearance on Tuesday night； the fake telegram from Cleveland stating
he was there； the withdrawal of his bank deposits； the forged checks； his
mysterious visits to his own apartment； when considered together；
presented a chain of circumstantial evidence connecting him with the
crime。 But in the light of Dr。 Stone's testimony； the poison 〃could not
have been administered in the glass of water Rochester had given Jimmie
in the police court。
Four hours at least had to elapse before the fatal dose of aconitine
could take effect … four hours！ Kent told them off on his fingers； it placed
the crime in the McIntyre house。 Which one of its inmates administered
the poison to Jimmie and how had it been done？ What motive had
prompted the cashier's murder？
It was preposterous to think that either of the twins was guilty of the
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crime。 Helen's devotion to Jimmie； her insistence upon an autopsy being
held indicated her innocence。 She had stated at the inquest that she had
not known the burglar's identity； Kent paused as the thought occurred to
him … the twins had swapped identities on the witness stand； and therefore
Helen had not been called upon to answer that question！ To the best of
his recollection she had only been asked if she had recognized Jimmie in
the court room and not at her home。 But Helen it was who had
summoned Officer O'Ryan on discovering the burglar and had him
arrested。 She surely would never have done so had she guessed his
identity。
As for Barbara McIntyre … Kent's heart beat faster at thought of the girl
he loved so well。 Circumstantial evidence had seemed for a time to
involve her in the crime。 Grimes' outrageous insinuation that he had
been assaulted on account of confiding to her that the box of aconitine
pills had been left on the hall table where any one could get them； was the
outcome of his battered condition。 When physical strength returned； the
butler would forget his hallucinations。 The handkerchief with its
embroidered letter 〃B；〃 used by Jimmie to inhale the fumes from his amyl
nitrite capsules； was finally traced to its rightful owner … Mrs。 Brewster。
And Mrs。 Brewster was due in his office within a very short time。
Kent's square jaw became more pronounced； she should not leave until she
had either confessed her connection with Turnbull's death； or established
her innocence。 Surely it would be easy for Mrs。 Brewster to do so； but …
aconitine had been prescribed for her； she was familiar with the poison；
she had it at hand； she went to the police court； and kept her trip a secret；
and she had laughed when Jimmie was carried dying from the court room。
But what motive could have inspired her to murder Jimmie？ Was he an
old lover … Kent； unable to keep quiet any longer； rose and paced up and
down the office； stopping a moment to glance out of the window。 As he
passed the safe he saw the door was ajar。 Kent paused abruptly。 Who had
opened the safe？
Crossing to the outer office he looked around； no one was there。 It
flashed into Kent's mind that he had seen Rochester's light top coat and
walking stick in the coat closet as he hung up his hat on his arrival； and he
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again opened the closet door。 The coat and stick were still there； so
Rochester had come to the office immediately after leaving him； and
carelessly left the safe open！ Kent smiled in spite of his vexation； the act
was typical of his eccentric partner。
Going back to his own office Kent opened the safe and glanced inside。
The pigeon holes and compartments appeared untouched； except the door
of one small compartment on Rochester's side。 An envelope was wedged
in such a manner that the small door would not shut and that had
prevented the closing of the outer safe door。
Kent； preparatory to shutting the safe； drew out the envelope intending
to place it in another pigeon…hole where there was more room。 As he
turned the envelope over he was thunderstruck to recognize it as the one
which Helen McIntyre had placed in the safe on Wednesday morning。
He had last seen the envelope lying on the table in the smoking porch of
the Club de Vingt； from whence it had mysteriously disappeared； and now
it was back again in Rochester's safe！
Had it ever been missing from the safe？ The question forced itself on
Kent as he returned to his chair； envelope in hand； and sat down before his
desk。 He had accepted Detective Ferguson's statement that he had
removed the envelope from the safe； and therefore had never looked in the
compartment where Helen had put it to verify its disappearance。
Ferguson had removed it； Kent concluded as he examined the
envelope with more care； it was the identical one； unaddressed； with the
same red seal holding down the flap。 The same red seal； but with a
difference … a corner was missing。
Kent stared at the seal for a moment in doubt； then his fingers sought
his vest pocket and fumbled about for a minute。 Taking out Mrs。
Brewster's check； he laid it on the desk alongside the envelope； unfolded it；
and picked out a piece of red sealing wax which had slid inside the check。
Kent placed the red wax on the broken section of the seal … it fitted exactly；
forming a perfect letter 〃B。〃
Kent sat in dumbfounded silence； regarding the red seal and the
envelope。 The piece of wax broken off from the seal had caught on his
coat sleeve when he had been in the Venetian casket in the library at the
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McIntyre house。 It was proof positive that not only he had been in the
casket； but the sealed envelope also。 Helen McIntyre had left the
envelope in his care。 Mrs。 Brewster and Colonel McIntyre had both been
present when the envelope was stolen from him。 Which of them had
taken it？ Which one had afterwards secreted it in the Venetian casket？
And which had brought it back to the safe in his office？
Colonel McIntyre had been in his office within the hour … the question
was answered； and Kent's eyes brightened； then clouded … Barbara had
been there as well； and Grimes had stated that before he received a knock…
out blow in the McIntyre library he heard the swish of skirts！
Kent laid his hand on the envelope。 It was time that he found out
what it contained； but his finger； inserted under the flap； paused as his eyes
fell on the check bearing Mrs。 Brewster's signature。 It was the check he
had picked up from the floor of the McIntyre limousine that morning and
inadvertently carried away with him。
》From her signature his glance wandered to Sylvester's memorandum
pad； it was uncanny the way his eye picked out the letter 〃B〃 as he stared
at Clymer's note and its signature。 Slowly his hand dropped away from
the envelope and he left it lying forgotten on the desk as he picked up
piece after piece of blotting paper； glancing intently at each and finally；
pulling open a drawer of his desk； he hunted in feverish haste for a hand…
mirror。
Some ten minutes later Kent rose； placed the papers he had been
examining in the inside pocket of his coat and； using the private entrance
from his office into the corridor； he hurried away。
When Helen McIntyre entered the office of Rochester and Ken
