The Circular Staircase - Page 83/154

"Mr. Jamieson," I said, when we found ourselves alone after dinner that

night, "the inquest yesterday seemed to me the merest recapitulation of

things that were already known. It developed nothing new beyond the

story of Doctor Stewart's, and that was volunteered."

"An inquest is only a necessary formality, Miss Innes," he replied.

"Unless a crime is committed in the open, the inquest does nothing

beyond getting evidence from witnesses while events are still in their

minds. The police step in later. You and I both know how many

important things never transpired. For instance: the dead man had no

key, and yet Miss Gertrude testified to a fumbling at the lock, and

then the opening of the door. The piece of evidence you mention,

Doctor Stewart's story, is one of those things we have to take

cautiously: the doctor has a patient who wears black and does not raise

her veil. Why, it is the typical mysterious lady! Then the good doctor

comes across Arnold Armstrong, who was a graceless scamp--de

mortuis--what's the rest of it?--and he is quarreling with a lady in

black. Behold, says the doctor, they are one and the same."

"Why was Mr. Bailey not present at the inquest?"

The detective's expression was peculiar.

"Because his physician testified that he is ill, and unable to leave

his bed."

"Ill!" I exclaimed. "Why, neither Halsey nor Gertrude has told me

that."

"There are more things than that, Miss Innes, that are puzzling. Bailey

gives the impression that he knew nothing of the crash at the bank

until he read it in the paper Monday night, and that he went back and

surrendered himself immediately. I do not believe it. Jonas, the

watchman at the Traders' Bank, tells a different story. He says that

on the Thursday night before, about eight-thirty, Bailey went back to

the bank. Jonas admitted him, and he says the cashier was in a state

almost of collapse. Bailey worked until midnight, then he closed the

vault and went away. The occurrence was so unusual that the watchman

pondered over it an the rest of the night. What did Bailey do when he

went back to the Knickerbocker apartments that night? He packed a

suit-case ready for instant departure. But he held off too long; he

waited for something. My personal opinion is that he waited to see

Miss Gertrude before flying from the country. Then, when he had shot

down Arnold Armstrong that night, he had to choose between two evils.

He did the thing that would immediately turn public opinion in his

favor, and surrendered himself, as an innocent man. The strongest

thing against him is his preparation for flight, and his deciding to

come back after the murder of Arnold Armstrong. He was shrewd enough

to disarm suspicion as to the graver charge?"