”Idoubtifyouwouldhavebeengiventheopportunity。Inoticedthatwewereslightlydetroptowardsthelast。””Iwouldn’thavemindedthat；notonmyownaccount，thatis。Itmightnothavebeenpleasantforyou。However，theofficeiswaiting。Come，letmeputyouonthecar。”ThatnightIbidedhiscomingwithanimpatienceIcouldnotcontrol。
Hewaslate，ofcourse，butwhenhedidappear，Ialmostforgotourusualgreetinginmyhurrytoaskhimifhehadseentheeveningpapers。”No，”hegrumbled，ashehunguphisovercoat。”Beenpushedaboutallday。Notimeforanything。””Thenletmetellyou-”
Buthewouldhavedinnerfirst。
However，alittlelaterwehadacomfortablechat。Mr。Grycehadmadeadiscovery，andthepaperswerefullofit。ItwasonewhichgavemeasmalltriumphoverGeorge。Thesuggestionhehadlaughedatwasnotsoentirelyfoolishashehadbeenpleasedtoconsiderit。Butletmetellthestoryofthatday，withoutanyfurtherreferencetomyself。
Theopinionhadbecomequitegeneralwiththosebestacquaintedwiththedetailsofthisaffair，thatthemysterywasoneofthoseabnormalonesforwhichnosolutionwouldeverbefound，whentheageddetectiveshowedhimselfinthebuildingandwastakentotheroom，whereanInspectorofPoliceawaitedhim。Theirgreetingwascordial，andthelinesonthelatter’sfacerelaxedalittleashemetthestillbrighteyeofthemanuponwhoseinstinctandjudgmentsomuchreliancehadalwaysbeenplaced。”Thisisverygoodofyou，”hebegan，glancingdownattheageddetective’sbundleduplegs，andgentlypushingachairtowardshim。”Iknowthatitwasagreatdealtoask，butwe’reatourwits’end，andsoItelephoned。It’sthemostinexplicable-There！
youhaveheardthatphrasebefore。Butclews-thereareabsolutelynone。Thatis，wehavenotbeenabletofindany。Perhapsyoucan。
Atleast，thatiswhatwehope。I’veknownyoumorethanoncetosucceedwhereothershavefailed。”
Theelderlymanthusaddressed，glanceddownathislegs，nowproppeduponastoolwhichsomeonehadbroughthim，andsmiled，withthepathosoftheoldwhoseestheinterestsofalifetimeslippinggraduallyaway。”IamnotwhatIwas。Icannolongergetdownonmyhandsandkneestopickupthreadsfromthenapofarug，orspyoutaspotofbloodinthecrimsonwoofofacarpet。””YoushallhaveSweetwaterheretodotheactiveworkforyou。
Whatwewantofyouisthedirectingmind-theinfallibleinstinct。
It’sacaseinathousand，Gryce。We’veneverhadanythingjustlikeit。You’veneverhadanythingatalllikeit。Itwillmakeyouyoungagain。”
Theoldman’seyesshotfireandunconsciouslyonefootslippedtothefloor。Thenhebethoughthimselfandpainfullylifteditbackagain。”Whatarethepoints?What’sthedifficulty?”heasked。”A
womanhasbeenshot-””No，notshot，stabbed。Wethoughtshehadbeenshot，forthatwasintelligibleandinvolvednoimpossibilities。ButDrs。HeathandWebster，undertheeyeoftheChalloners’ownphysician，havemadeanexaminationofthewound-anofficialone，thoroughandquitefinalsofarastheyareconcerned，andtheydeclarethatnobulletistobefoundinthebody。Asthewoundextendsnofurtherthantheheart，thissettlesonegreatpoint，atleast。””Dr。Heathisareliablemanandoneofourablestcoroners。””Yes。Therecanbenoquestionastothetruthofhisreport。Youknowthevictim?Hername，Imean，andthecharactershebore?””Yes；somuchwastoldmeonmywaydown。””Afinegirlunspoiledbyrichesandseemingindependence。Happy，too，toallappearance，orweshouldbemorereadytoconsiderthepossibilityofsuicide。””Suicidebystabbingcallsforaweapon。Yetnonehasbeenfound，Ihear。””None。””Yetshewaskilledthatway?”Undoubtedly，andbyalongandverynarrowblade，largerthananeedlebutnotsolargeastheordinarystiletto。””Stabbedwhilebyherself，orwhatyoumaycallbyherself?Shehadnocompanionnearher?””None，ifwecanbelievethefourmembersoftheParrishfamilywhowereseatedattheotherendoftheroom。”Andyoudobelievethem?””Wouldawholefamilylie-andneedlessly?Theyneverknewthewoman-father，maidenauntandtwoboys，clear-eyed，jollyyoungchapswhomeventhehorrorofthistragedy，perpetratedasitwereundertheirverynose，cannotmakeseriousformorethanapassingmoment。””Itwouldn’tseemso。””YettheyswearupanddownthatnobodycrossedtheroomtowardsMissChalloner。””Sotheytellme。””Shefelljustafewfeetfromthedeskwhereshehadbeenwriting。
Noword，nocry，justacollapseandsuddenfall。Inoldendaystheywouldhavesaid，struckbyaboltfromheaven。Butitwasaboltwhichdrewblood；notmuchblood，Ihear，butsufficienttoendlifealmostinstantly。Sheneverlookeduporspokeagain。
Whatdoyoumakeofit，Gryce?””It’satoughone，andI’mnotreadytoventureanopinionyet。I
shouldliketoseethedeskyouspeakof，andthespotwhereshefell。”
Ayoungfellowwhohadbeenhoveringinthebackgroundatoncesteppedforward。Hewastheplain-faceddetectivewhohadspokentoGeorge。”Willyoutakemyarm，sir?”
Mr。Gryce’swholefacebrightened。ThisSweetwater，astheycalledhim，was，Ihavesinceunderstood，oneofhisprotegesandmoreorlessofafavourite。”Haveyouhadachanceatthisthing?”heasked。”Beenovertheground-studiedtheaffaircarefully?””Yes，sir；theyweregoodenoughtoallowit。””Verywell，then，you’reinapositiontopioneerme。You’veseenitallandwon’tbeinahurry。””No；I’mattheendofmyrope。Ihaven’tanidea，sir。””Well，well，that’shonestatallevents。”Then，asheslowlyrosewiththeother’scarefulassistance，”There’snocrimewithoutitsclew。Thethingistorecognisethatclewwhenseen。ButI’minnoposition，tomakepromises。Olddaysdon’treturnfortheasking。”
Nevertheless，helookedtenyearsyoungerthanwhenhecamein，orsothoughtthosewhoknewhim。
Themezzaninewasguardedfromallvisitorssavesuchashadofficialsanction。Consequently，thetworemainedquiteuninterruptedwhiletheymovedabouttheplaceinquietconsultation。
Othershadprecededthem；hadexaminedtheplainlittledeskandfoundnothing；hadpacedoffthedistances；hadlookedwithlongingandinquiringeyesattheelevatorcageandtheopenarchwayleadingtothelittlestaircaseandthemusicians’gallery。Butthiswasnothingtotheolddetective。Thelocalewaswhathewanted，andhegotit。Whetherhegotanythingelseitwouldbeimpossibletosayfromhismannerashefinallysankintoachairbyoneoftheopenings，andlookeddownonthelobbybelow。Itwasfullofpeoplecomingandgoingonallsortsofbusiness，andpresentlyhedrewback，and，leaningonSweetwater’sarm，askedhimafewquestions。”WhowerethefirsttorushinhereaftertheParrishesgavethealarm?””Oneortwoofthemusiciansfromtheendofthehall。Theyhadjustfinishedtheirprogrammeandwerepreparingtoleavethegallery。Naturallytheyreachedherfirst。”
Good！theirnames?””MarkSowerbyandClausHennerberg。HonestGermans-menwhohaveplayedhereforyears。””Andwhofollowedthem?Whocamenextonthescene?”Somepeoplefromthelobby。Theyheardthedisturbanceandrusheduppell-mell。Butnotoneofthesetouchedher。Laterherfathercame。””Whodidtouchher?Anybody，beforethefathercamein?””Yes；MissClarke，themiddle-agedladywiththeParrishes。ShehadruntowardsMissChallonerassoonassheheardherfall，andwassittingtherewiththedeadgirl’sheadinherlapwhenthemusiciansshowedthemselves。””Isupposeshehasbeencarefullyquestioned?””Very，Ishouldsay。””Andshespeaksofnoweapon?””No。Neithershenoranyoneelseatthatmomentsuspectedmurderorevenaviolentdeath。Allthoughtitanaturalone-sudden，buttheresultofsomesecretdisease。””Fatherandall?””Yes。””Buttheblood?Surelytheremusthavebeensomeshowofblood?”