Hehadthelookofamanofpowerfulintellectanddeterminedwill，whoshudderswhilehetriumphs；whooutwardlywasheshishandsofadeedoverwhichheinwardlygloats。Thiswaswhenhefirstrosefromthesnow。Afterwardshehadamomentoffear；plain，human，everydayfear。Butthiswasevanescent。Beforehehadturnedtogo，heshowedtheself-possessionofonewhofeelshimselfsosecure，orissowell-satisfiedwithhimself，thatheisnolongerconsciousofotheremotions。”Poorfellow，”Icommentedaloud，asIfoldedupthesewords；”hereckonedwithoutyou，George。Byto-morrowhewillbeinthehandsofthepolice。””Poorfellow?”herepeated。”Bettersay’PoorMissChalloner！’
Theytellmeshewasoneofthoseperfectwomenwhoreconcileeventhepessimisttohumanityandtheagewelivein。Whyanyoneshouldwanttokillherisamystery；butwhythismanshould-There！nooneprofessestoexplainit。Theysimplygobythefacts。To-morrowsurelymustbringstrangerevelations。”
Andwiththissentenceringinginmymind，Ilaydownandendeavouredtosleep。Butitwasnottillverylatethatrestcame。Thenoiseofpassingfeet，thoughmuffledbeyondtheirwont，rousedmeinspiteofmyself。Thesefootstepsmightbethoseofsomelatearrival，ortheymightbethoseofsomewarydetectiveintentonbusinessfarremovedfromtheusualroutineoflifeinthisgreathotel。
IrecalledtheglimpseIhadhadofthewriting-roomintheearlyevening，andimagineditasitwaswithMissChalloner’sbodyremovedandtheincongruousflittingofstrangeandbusyfiguresacrossitsfatalfloors，measuringdistancesandpeeringintocorners，whilehundredssleptaboveandabouttheminundisturbedrepose。
ThenIthoughtofhim，thesuspectedandpossiblyguiltyone。InvisionsoverwhichIhadlittleifanycontrol，Isawhiminalltherestlessnessofaslowlydyingdownexcitement-thesurroundingsstrangeandunknowntome，thefigurenot-seekingforquiet；facingthepast；facingthefuture；knowing，perhaps，forthefirsttimeinhislifewhatitwasforcrimeandremorsetomurdersleep。Icouldnotthinkofhimaslyingstill-slumberingliketherestofmankind，inthehopeandexpectationofabusymorrow。Crimeperpetratedloomssolargeinthesoul，andthismanhadasoulasbigashisbody；ofthatIwasassured。Thatitsinstinctswerecruelandinherentlyevil，didnotlessenitscapacityforsuffering。Andhewassufferingnow；Icouldnotdoubtit，rememberingthelovelyfaceandfragrantmemoryofthenoblewomanhehad，undersomeunknownimpulse，senttoanunmeriteddoom。
AtlastIslept，butitwasonlytorouseagainwiththesamequickrealisationofmysurroundings，whichIhadexperiencedonmyrecoveryfrommyfaintingfitofhoursbefore。Someonehadstoppedatourdoorbeforehurryingbydownthehall。Whowasthatsomeone?
Iroseonmyelbow，andendeavouredtopeerthroughthedark。Ofcourse，Icouldseenothing。ButwhenIwokeasecondtime，therewasenoughlightintheroom，earlyasitundoubtedlywas，formetodetectaletterlyingonthecarpetjustinsidethedoor。
InstantlyIwasonmyfeet。Catchingtheletterup，Icarriedittothewindow。Ourtwonameswereonit-Mr。andMrs。GeorgeAnderson：thewriting，Mr。Slater’s。
IglancedoveratGeorge。Hewassleepingpeacefully。Itwastooearlytowakehim，butIcouldnotlaythatletterdownunread；wasnotmynameonit?Tearingitopen，Idevoureditscontents，-theexclamationImadeonreadingit，wakingGeorge。
ThewritingwasinMr。Slater’shand，andthewordswere：”Imustrequest，attheinstanceofCoronerHeathandsuchofthepoliceaslistenedtoyouradventure，thatyoumakenofurthermentionofwhatyousawinthestreetunderourwindowslastnight。Thedoctorsfindnobulletinthewound。ThisclearsMr。Brotherson。”
SWEETLITTLEMISSCLARKE
Whenwetookourseatsatthebreakfast-table，itwaswiththefeelingofbeingnolongerlookeduponasconnectedinanywaywiththiscase。Yetourinterestinitwas，ifanything，increased，andwhenIsawGeorgecastingfurtiveglancesatacertaintablebehindme，Ileanedoverandaskedhimthereason，beingsurethatthepeoplewhosefacesIsawreflectedinthemirrordirectlybeforeushadsomethingtodowiththegreatmatterthenengrossingus。HisanswerconveyedthesomewhatexcitinginformationthatthefourpersonsseatedinmyrearwerethesamefourwhohadbeenreadingattheroundtableinthemezzanineatthetimeofMissChalloner’sdeath。
Instantlytheyabsorbedallmyattention，thoughIdarednotgivethemadirectlook，andcontinuedtoobservethemonlyintheglass。”Isitonefamily?”Iasked。”Yes，andaveryrespectableone。Transients，ofcourse，butverywellknowninDenver。Theladyisnotthemotheroftheboys，buttheiraunt。Theboysbelongtothegentleman，whoisawidower。””Theirwordoughttobegood。”
Georgenodded。”Theboyslookwide-awakeenoughifthefatherdoesnot。Asfortheaunt，sheissweetnessitself。DotheystillinsistthatMissChallonerwastheonlypersonintheroomwiththematthistime?””Theydidlastnight。Idon’tknowhowtheywillmeetthisstatementofthedoctor’s。””George?”
Heleanednearer。”Haveyoueverthoughtthatshemighthavebeenasuicide?Thatshestabbedherself?”No，forinthatcaseaweaponwouldhavebeenfound。””Andareyousurethatnonewas?””Positive。Suchafactcouldnothavebeenkeptquiet。Ifaweaponhadbeenpickeduptherewouldbenomystery，andnonecessityforfurtherpoliceinvestigation。””Andthedetectivesarestillhere?”Ijustsawone。””George?”
Againhisheadcamenearer。”Havetheysearchedthelobby?Ibelieveshehadaweapon。””Laura！”Iknowitsoundsfoolish，butthealternativeissoimprobable。A
familylikethatcannotbeleaguedtogetherinaconspiracytohidethetruthconcerningamattersoserious。Tobesure，theymayallbeshort-sighted，orsolittlegiventoobservationthattheydidn’tseewhatpassedbeforetheireyes。Theboyslookwide-awakeenough，butwhocantell?Iwouldsoonerbelievethat-”
IstoppedshortsosuddenlythatGeorgelookedstartled。MyattentionhadbeencaughtbysomethingnewIsawinthemirroruponwhichmyattentionwasfixed。Amanwaslookinginfromthecorridorbehind，atthefourpersonswewerejustdiscussing。Hewaswatchingthemintently，andIthoughtIknewhisface。”Whatkindofalookingpersonwasthemanwhotookyououtsidelastnight?”IinquiredofGeorge，withmyeyesstillonthisfurtivewatcher。”Afellowtomakeyoulaugh。Aperfectcharacter，Laura；hideouslyhomelybutagreeableenough。Itookquiteafancytohim。Why?””Iamlookingathimnow。””Verylikely。He’sdeepinthisaffair。Justaneverydaydetective，butambitious，Isuppose，andquitealivetotheimportanceofbeingthorough。””Heiswatchingthosepeople。No，heisn’t。Howquicklyhedisappeared！””Yes，he’smercurialinallhismovements。Laura，wemustgetoutofthis。Therehappenstobesomethingelseintheworldformetodothantositaroundandfollowupmurderclews。”
Butwebegantodoubtifothersagreedwithhim，whenonpassingoutwewerestoppedinthelobbybythissamedetective，whohadsomethingtosaytoGeorge，anddrewhimquicklyaside。”Whatdoeshewant?”Iasked，assoonasGeorgehadreturnedtomyside。”Hewantsmetostandreadytoobeyanysummonsthepolicemaysendme。””ThentheystillsuspectBrotherson?”
Theymust。”
MyheadroseatrifleasIglancedupatGeorge。”Thenwearenotaltogetheroutofit?”Iemphasised，complacently。
Hesmiledwhichhardlyseemedapropos。WhydoesGeorgesometimessmilewhenIaminmymostseriousmoods。
Aswesteppedoutofthehotel，Georgegavemyarmaquietpinchwhichservedtodirectmyattentiontoanelderlygentlemanwho，wasjustalightingfromataxicabatthekerb。Hemovedheavilyandwithsomeappearanceofpain，butfromthecrowdcollectedonthesidewalkmanyofwhomnudgedeachotherashepassed，hewasevidentlyapersonofsomeimportance，andashedisappearedwithinthehotelentrance，IaskedGeorgewhothiskind-faced，bright-eyedoldgentlemancouldbe。
Heappearedtoknow，forhetoldmeatoncethathewasDetectiveGryce；amanwhohadgrownoldinsolvingjustsuchbafflingproblemsasthese。”Hegaveupworksometimeago，Ihavebeentold，”myhusbandwenton；”butevidentlyagreatcasestillhasitsallurementforhim。
Thetrailheremustbeaveryblindoneforthemtocallhimin。
Iwishwehadnotleftsosoon。Itwouldhavebeenquiteanexperiencetoseehimatwork。”