XIV
ANOTHER CLUE
Kennedy looked at me quizzically. "I guess we'd better not wait forMiss Loring to initiate us to McCann's," he remarked.
We found our way to the courtyard, and were headed for the gate when ayoung man in chauffeur's cap and uniform intercepted us. I had noticedhim start forward from one of the cars parked in the inclosure, but didnot recognize him.
"May I speak to you a moment, Professor Kennedy--alone?"
"Mr. Jameson here is associated with me, is assisting me in this case,if it is something concerning the death of Miss Lamar."
"It is, sir. I saw you out at Tarrytown yesterday. McGroarty is my nameand I drove one of the cars the company went in. They were pointing youout to me, and I'd read about you, and just now I says to myselfthere's something I ought to tell you."
"That's right." Kennedy lighted a cigar, offering one to the chauffeur."I'm not supernatural and often I'm able to solve a mystery only withthe help of all those who, like myself, want justice done."
"Yes, sir! That's my way of looking at it. Well"--McGroarty blew acloud of smoke, appreciatively--"I do a good bit of driving for thesepeople, and this morning it was cloudy and dull, no good for exteriors,but yet sort of so it might clear at any moment, and so I was ordered.I brought my car and left it standing here in the yard while I wentover to McCann's--the lunch room, you know--for a cup of coffee. When Icame back"--again the cigar--"there still was nothing doing, and so Ithought--you know how it is--I thought I'd clean up the back of the oldboat, to kill time, not saying it wasn't needed. So I took out thecocoa mat to beat it and what do I find on the floor--between the matand the rear seat it was, I guess--but this."
He handed Kennedy some small object which glinted in the light. Lookingclosely, I saw that it was a peculiarly shaped little glass tube.
"An ampulla," Kennedy explained. "It's the technical name the doctorshave for such a container."
"It must have been between the mat and the rear seat," the chauffeurrepeated. Then he discovered that his cigar was out. He struck a match.
Kennedy turned the bit of glass over and over in his hand, examining itcarefully. I felt rather fearful, wondering if it might not containsome trace of the deadly poison which had so quickly killed StellaLamar. I even half expected to see Kennedy find some infinitesimaljagged edge or point which could have inflicted the fatal scratch. ThenI realized that McGroarty had handled the thing with impunity, perhapshad carried it about half a day.
Kennedy took his scarf pin. On the outside of the little tube there wasno trace of a label or marking of any sort. All about, on the inside,however, the glass was spotted with dried light-yellow incrustations,resembling crystals and at first apt to escape even the sharpestscrutiny. With the pin Kennedy scaled off one of these and put it underhis pocket lens. But he came to no conclusion. Rather puzzled andnettled, he dropped the tiny bit of substance back into the tube, thenreplaced his pin in his scarf, and stowed this latest bit of possibleevidence in his pocket carefully.
"How do you suppose it got in the car?" he asked.
"Some one must have dropped it and it must have rolled in that space bythe edge of the mat," replied the chauffeur. "There was just room forit, too! I never would have noticed it without taking up the mat."
"It couldn't be broken, by being trampled on?"
"Nope! Not a chance!"
"How long could it have been there?"
"Two or three or four days--since I cleaned up last."
I remembered the cleverness shown by the guilty person in placing theneedle in the curtain. It seemed unlikely that this could be anaccident. "Isn't it possible," I suggested, "that this is a plant; thatthe tube was put there deliberately, to throw us off the track?"
"It's quite likely," he admitted. "On the other hand, Walter, the verysmartest criminal will do some foolish little thing, enough to ruin themost careful plans and preparations." He turned to McGroarty. "Who rodein your car yesterday?"
"Mine's the principals' car," boasted McGroarty. "Going out I had MissLamar, Miss Loring, Mr. Gordon, Mr. Shirley, and Mr. Werner. Comingback Mr. Werner was with you, and Miss Lamar--well, there was only MissLoring and Mr. Gordon and Mr. Shirley."
"Did you notice how they acted?"
"They never says a word to each other on all the trip back, but Ididn't think it strange after what happened, although usually they'realways joking and laughing."
"You brought the three to the studio here?"
"Yes. They had to get out of make-up."
"Did you leave the car then?"
"No, I hit it right for the garage."
"Were you away from the car at Tarrytown?"
"Sure! That was a long wait. Peters, Manton's chauffeur, and I found acouple of horseshoes and we were throwing them most of the time."
"How long was the machine alone here in the yard this morning?"
"A couple of hours, maybe. I knew the old boiler was safe enough, andthat if they wanted me they'd look over in McCann's."
"Well," Kennedy extended his hand, "I thank you, and I won't forgetyou, McGroarty."
As soon as the chauffeur was out of earshot I faced Kennedy rathereagerly, to forestall him if he had arrived at the same conclusion asmyself.
"See! It's just as I thought yesterday!"
"How's that, Walter?"
"Werner! He rode out in that machine, but not back. In Manton's car hewas worried all the time. He probably knew he had dropped the tube.Then he hurried up ahead of us and wiped the needle--" I stopped,lamely.
Kennedy smiled. "See, you're jumping at conclusions too fast. Youremember now that we decided that the towel has nothing directly to dowith the poison. In a way you cannot assume that this ampulla has,either, although I myself feel sure on that point. But in any case noone is eliminated. It is true Werner did not return in the sameautomobile. It is also true that he had little opportunity to drop itwhile others were in the car with him. When McGroarty was away from thecar anyone could have lost it, or--as you suggested a momentago--planted it there deliberately to divert suspicion."
I felt the beginnings of a headache from all these confused threads ofthe mystery. "Can't--Isn't there anyone we can say is innocent, atleast, even if we cannot begin to fasten the guilt upon somebody?" Ipleaded.
Kennedy shook his head. "At this stage the one is as hard as the other.I consider myself lucky to have collected as much material as I havefor the analysis of the poison." He tapped his pocket significantly.
"Yoo-hoo!" A frankly shrill call in a feminine voice interrupted. Weboth turned, to see Marilyn Loring hastening toward us.
"Did you think I was going to forget you?" she asked, almostreproachfully and much out of breath. "Let's hurry," she added. "Thisis roast beef day."
We started toward the gate once more, Marilyn between us, vivacious andrather charming. I noticed that she made no reference to the incidentin the hallway, the precipitate manner in which she left us and thevery evident confusion of Merle Shirley. Kennedy, too, seemed disposedto drop the matter, although it was obviously significant. For somereason his mind was elsewhere, so that the girl was thrown upon myhands.
It struck me that, after all, she was attractive. At this moment Ifound her distinctly good-looking.
"Why do you 'vamp'?" I asked, innocently. "You don't seem to me, ifyou'll pardon the personal remark, at all that type."
She laughed. "It's all the fault of the public. They insist that Ivamp. I want to play girly-girly parts, but the public won't stand forit; they won't come to see the picture. They tell the exhibitor, and hetells the producer, and back I am at the vamping again. Isn't itfunny?" She paused a moment. "Take Gordon. Doesn't it make you laugh,what the public think he is--clean-cut, hero, and all that sort ofthing? Little do they know!"
All at once Kennedy stopped abruptly. We were close to the entrance,just where a smart little speedster of light blue lined with white wasparked at the edge of the narrow sidewalk. The sun, after a morning ofuncertai
nty, had just struck through the haze, and it illuminatedMarilyn's face and hair most delightfully as we both turned, somewhatin surprise.
"I know you'll never forgive me, Miss Loring," Kennedy began, "but thefact is that just before you came out we stumbled into a new bit ofevidence in the case and I believe that Jameson and I will have tohurry in to the laboratory. Much as I would like to lunch with you, andperhaps chat some more during scene-taking this afternoon--"
It seemed to me that her eyes widened a bit. Certainly there was aperceptible change in her face. It was interest, but it was alsocertainly more than that. I felt that she would have liked to penetratethe mask of Kennedy's expression, perhaps learn just what facts andtheories rested in his mind.
"Is it--" Suddenly she smiled, realizing that Kennedy would reveal onlythe little which suited his purpose. "Is it something you can tell me?"she finished.
He shook his head. His answer was tantalizing, his glance searching andwithout concealment. "Only another detail concerning the chemicalanalysis of the poison."
"I see!" If she knew of the ampulla the answer would have beenintelligible to her. As it was, her face betrayed nothing. "I guessI'll hurry on over alone, then," she added. She extended a hand to eachof us. Her grasp was warm and friendly and frank. "So long, and--andgood luck, for Stella's sake!"
"Hello, folks!"
The dancing bantering voice from behind us, with silvery cadence to itslaughter, could belong to no one but Enid Faye. I grasped that it washer car which Kennedy leaned upon. I gasped a bit as I saw her directlyat my side, her dainty chamois motoring coat brushing my sleeve, thesun which grew in strength every moment casting mottled shadows uponher face through the transparent brim of her bobbing hat, in mockinganswer to the mirth in her eyes.
For an instant she gazed after the retreating Marilyn.
"Good-by, Marilyn! DEAR," she called, mega-phoning her hands.
The other girl made no response. Laughing, Enid slipped a hand under myarm, the firm pressure of her fingers thrilling me. She addressedKennedy, however.
"Do you want a ride in to the city, both of you?"
Kennedy brightened. "That would be fine! How far are you going?"
"The Burrage. I have a luncheon engagement. That's Forty-fourth."
"Can you drop us off at the university?"
"Surely! Climb in. It's a tight fit, three in the seat, but fun.And"--facing me--"I want Jamie between us, next to me!"
As we rolled out of the studio inclosure she leaned forward on thewheel to question Kennedy.
"What did Marilyn Loring want? You seemed in deep confab!"
"She volunteered to initiate us to McCann's, across the street."
"Oh!" She skidded about a corner skillfully. "And--"
"Well, we bumped into an additional piece of evidence and I thoughtJameson and I ought to hurry in to my laboratory instead."
"I bet"--Enid giggled, readjusting her hat in the breeze--"I bet shewanted to know what you'd found, right away. Didn't she?"
"Yes!" Kennedy's face was noncommittal, "Why do you say that?"
"Because she came into my room, just as we were getting ready for workthis morning. Perhaps I'm wrong, but from the way she kept asking mequestions about everyone from Manton down I got the idea she wasquizzing me, to see how much I knew. Of course this is only my firstday, but it seems to me that Marilyn is talking a great deal, withoutsaying very much. I've come to the conclusion she knows a good dealmore than she is telling anyone, and that she'd like to find out justhow much everyone else knows."
Kennedy nodded almost absent-mindedly, without responding further.
"Well"--Enid speeded up a bit--"not to change connections on theswitchboard, I think I'm going to like it with Manton Pictures."
"Will they do justice to your work," Kennedy inquired, "putting you ina partially finished picture in this way?"
"That's where I'm in luck, real bang-up luck. Werner has directed mebefore and knows just exactly how to handle me."
"What about the story? That was built for Stella, wasn't it?"
"Yes, but they're changing it here and there to fit me. Larry knows mywork, too! That's luck again for little Enid."
"How long have you known Millard?" In a flash I realized Kennedy'scleverness. This was the fact he had wished to unearth. The questionwas as natural as could be. He had led up to it deliberately. I wassure of that.
"Four, nearly five years," she replied, unsuspiciously. Then suddenlyshe bit her lip, although her expression was well masked. "That is,"she added, somewhat lamely--"that is, in a casual way, like nearlyeveryone knows nearly everyone else in the film game."
"Oh!" murmured Kennedy, lapsing into silence.