CHAPTER IX
THE RADIO DETECTIVE
It was early the following morning when a launch drew up beside theNautilus. In it were Edwards and Dr. Jermyn, wildly excited.
"What's the matter?" called out Waldon.
"They--they have found the body," Edwards blurted out.
Waldon paled and clutched the rail. He had thought the world of hissister, and not until the last moment had he given up hope that perhapsshe might be found to have disappeared in some other way than hadbecome increasingly evident.
"Where?" cried Kennedy. "Who?"
"Over on Ten Mile Beach," answered Edwards. "Some fishermen who hadbeen out on a cruise and hadn't heard the story. They took the body totown, and there it was recognized. They sent word out to usimmediately."
Waldon had already spun the engine of his tender, which was about thefastest thing afloat about Seaville, had taken Edwards over, and wewere off in a cloud of spray, the nose of the boat many inches abovethe surface of the water.
In the little undertaking establishment at Seaville lay the body of thebeautiful young matron about whom so much anxiety had been felt. Icould not help thinking what an end was this for the incomparablebeauty. At the very height of her brief career the poor little woman'slife had been suddenly snuffed out. But by what? The body had beenfound, but the mystery had been far from solved.
As Kennedy bent over the body, I heard him murmur to himself, "She hadeverything--everything except happiness."
"Was it drowning that caused her death?" asked Kennedy of the localdoctor, who also happened to be coroner and had already arrived on thescene.
The doctor shook his head. "I don't know," he said doubtfully. "Therewas congestion of the lungs--but I--I can't say but what she might havebeen dead before she fell or was thrown into the water."
Dr. Jermyn stood on one side, now and then putting in a word, but forthe most part silent unless spoken to. Kennedy, however, was making amost minute examination.
As he turned the beautiful head, almost reverently, he saw somethingthat evidently attracted his attention. I was standing next to him and,between us, I think we cut off the view of the others. There on theback of the neck, carefully, had been smeared something transparent,almost skin-like, which had easily escaped the attention of the rest.
Kennedy tried to pick it off, but only succeeded in pulling off a veryminute piece to which the flesh seemed to adhere.
"That's queer," he whispered to me. "Water, naturally, has no effect onit, else it would have been washed off long before. Walter," he added,"just slip across the street quietly to the drug store and get me apiece of gauze soaked with acetone."
As quickly and unostentatiously as I could I did so and handed him thewet cloth, contriving at the same time to add Waldon to our barrier,for I could see that Kennedy was anxious to be observed as little aspossible.
"What is it?" I whispered, as he rubbed the transparent skin-like stuffoff, and dropped the gauze into his pocket.
"A sort of skin varnish," he remarked under his breath, "waterproof andso adhesive that it resists pulling off even with a knife withouttaking the cuticle with it."
Beneath, as the skin varnish slowly dissolved under his gentle rubbing,he had disclosed several very small reddish spots, like little cutsthat had been made by means of a very sharp instrument. As he did so,he gave them a hasty glance, turned the now stony beautiful headstraight again, stood up, and resumed his talk with the coroner, whowas evidently getting more and more bewildered by the case.
Edwards, who had completed the arrangements with the undertaker for thecare of the body as soon as the coroner released it, seemed completelyunnerved.
"Jermyn," he said to the doctor, as he turned away and hid his eyes, "Ican't stand this. The undertaker wants some stuff from the--er--boat,"his voice broke over the name which had been hers. "Will you get it forme? I'm going up to a hotel here, and I'll wait for you there. But Ican't go out to the boat--yet."
"I think Mr. Waldon will be glad to take you out in his tender,"suggested Kennedy. "Besides, I feel that I'd like a little fresh air asa bracer, too, after such a shock."
"What were those little cuts?" I asked as Waldon and Dr. Jermynpreceded us through the crowd outside to the pier.
"Some one," he answered in a low tone, "has severed the pneumogastricnerves."
"The pneumogastric nerves?" I repeated.
"Yes, the vagus or wandering nerve, the so-called tenth cranial nerve.Unlike the other cranial nerves, which are concerned with the specialsenses or distributed to the skin and muscles of the head and neck, thevagus, as its name implies, strays downward into the chest and abdomensupplying branches to the throat, lungs, heart and stomach and forms animportant connecting link between the brain and the sympathetic nervoussystem."
We had reached the pier, and a nod from Kennedy discouraged furtherconversation on the subject.
A few minutes later we had reached the Lucie and gone up over her side.Kennedy waited until Jermyn had disappeared into the room of Mrs.Edwards to get what the undertaker had desired. A moment and he hadpassed quietly into Dr. Jermyn's own room, followed by me. Severalquick glances about told him what not to waste time over, and at lasthis eye fell on a little portable case of medicines and surgicalinstruments. He opened it quickly and took out a bottle of goldenyellow liquid.
Kennedy smelled it, then quickly painted some on the back of his hand.It dried quickly, like an artificial skin. He had found a bottle ofskin varnish in Dr. Jermyn's own medicine chest!
We hurried back to the deck, and a few minutes later the doctorappeared with a large package.
"Did you ever hear of coating the skin by a substance which isimpervious to water, smooth and elastic?" asked Kennedy quietly asWaldon's tender sped along back to Seaville.
"Why--er, yes," he said frankly, raising his eyes and looking at Craigin surprise. "There have been a dozen or more such substances. The bestis one which I use, made of pyroxylin, the soluble cotton of commerce,dissolved in amyl acetate and acetone with some other substances thatmake it perfectly sterile. Why do you ask?"
"Because some one has used a little bit of it to cover a few slightcuts on the back of the neck of Mrs. Edwards."
"Indeed?" he said simply, in a tone of mild surprise.
"Yes," pursued Kennedy. "They seem to me to be subcutaneous incisionsof the neck with a very fine scalpel dividing the two greatpneumogastric nerves. Of course you know what that would mean--thevictim would pass away naturally by slow and easy stages in three orfour days, and all that would appear might be congestion of the lungs.They are delicate little punctures and elusive nerves to locate, butafter all it might be done as painlessly, as simply and as safely as abarber might remove some dead hairs. A country coroner might easilypass over such evidence at an autopsy--especially if it was concealedby skin varnish."
I was surprised at the frankness with which Kennedy spoke, butabsolutely amazed at the coolness of Jermyn. At first he saidabsolutely nothing. He seemed to be as set in his reticence as he hadbeen when we first met.
I watched him narrowly. Waldon, who was driving the boat, had not heardwhat was said, but I had, and I could not conceive how anyone couldtake it so calmly.
Finally Jermyn turned to Kennedy and looked him squarely in the eye."Kennedy," he said slowly, "this is extraordinary--most extraordinary,"then, pausing, added, "if true."
"There can be no doubt of the truth," replied Kennedy, eyeing Dr.Jermyn just as squarely.
"What do you propose to do about it?" asked the doctor.
"Investigate," replied Kennedy simply. "While Waldon takes these thingsup to the undertaker's, we may as well wait here in the boat. I wanthim to stop on the way back for Mr. Edwards. Then we shall go out tothe Lucie. He must go, whether he likes it or not."
It was indeed a most peculiar situation as Kennedy and I sat in thetender with Dr. Jermyn waiting for Waldon to return with Edwards. Not aword was spoken.
The tenseness of the situation
was not relieved by the return of Waldonwith Edwards. Waldon seemed to realize without knowing just what itwas, that something was about to happen. He drove his boat back to theLucie again in record time. This was Kennedy's turn to be reticent.Whatever it was he was revolving in his mind, he answered in scarcelymore than monosyllables whatever questions were put to him.
"You are not coming aboard?" inquired Edwards in surprise as he andJermyn mounted the steps of the houseboat ladder, and Kennedy remainedseated in the tender.
"Not yet," replied Craig coolly.
"But I thought you had something to show me. Waldon told me you had."
"I think I shall have in a short time," returned Kennedy. "We shall beback immediately. I'm just going to ask Waldon to run over to theNautilus for a few minutes. We'll tow back your launch, too, in caseyou need it."
Waldon had cast off obediently.
"There's one thing sure," I remarked. "Jermyn can't get away from theLucie until we return--unless he swims."
Kennedy did not seem to pay much attention to the remark, for his onlyreply was: "I'm taking a chance by this maneuvering, but I think itwill work out that I am correct. By the way, Waldon, you needn't put onso much speed. I'm in no great hurry to get back. Half an hour will betime enough."
"Jermyn? What did you mean by Jermyn?" asked Waldon, as we climbed tothe deck of the Nautilus.
He had evidently learned, as I had, that it was little use to try toquiz Kennedy until he was ready to be questioned and had decided to tryit on me.
I had nothing to conceal and I told him quite fully all that I knew.Actually, I believe if Jermyn had been there, it would have taken bothKennedy and myself to prevent violence. As it was I had a veritablemadman to deal with while Kennedy gathered up leisurely the wirelessoutfit he had installed on the deck of Waldon's yacht. It was only bytelling him that I would certainly demand that Kennedy leave him behindif he did not control his feelings that I could calm him before Craighad finished his work on the yacht.
Waldon relieved himself by driving the tender back at top speed to theLucie, and now it seemed that Kennedy had no objection to traveling asfast as the many-cylindered engine was capable of going.
As we entered the saloon of the houseboat, I kept close watch overWaldon.
Kennedy began by slipping a record on the phonograph in the corner ofthe saloon, then facing us and addressing Edwards particularly.
"You may be interested to know, Mr. Edwards," he said, "that yourwireless outfit here has been put to a use for which you never intendedit."
No one said anything, but I am sure that some one in the room then forthe first time began to suspect what was coming.
"As you know, by the use of an aerial pole, messages may be easilyreceived from any number of stations," continued Craig. "Laws, rulesand regulations may be adopted to shut out interlopers and plugbusybody ears, but the greater part of whatever is transmitted by theHertzian waves can be snatched down by other wireless apparatus.
"Down below, in that little room of yours," went on Craig, "might sitan operator with his ear-phone clamped to his head, drinking in thenews conveyed surely and swiftly to him through the wirelesssignals--plucking from the sky secrets of finance and," he added,leaning forward, "love."
In his usual dramatic manner Kennedy had swung his little audiencecompletely with him.
"In other words," he resumed, "it might be used for eavesdropping by awireless wiretapper. Now," he concluded, "I thought that if there wasany radio detective work being done, I might as well do some, too."
He toyed for a moment with the phonograph record. "I have used," heexplained, "Marconi's radiotelephone, because in connection with hisreceivers Marconi uses phonographic recorders and on them has capturedwireless telegraph signals over hundreds of miles.
"He has found that it is possible to receive wireless signals, althoughordinary records are not loud enough, by using a small microphone onthe repeating diaphragm and connected with a loud-speaking telephone.The chief difficulty was to get a microphone that would carry asufficient current without burning up. There were other difficulties,but they have been surmounted and now wireless telegraph messages maybe automatically recorded and made audible."
Kennedy started the phonograph, running it along, stopping it, takingup the record at a new point.
"Listen," he exclaimed at length, "there's something interesting, theWXY call--Seaville station--from some one on the Lucie only a fewminutes ago, sending a message to be relayed by Seaville to the stationat Beach Park. It seems impossible, but buzzing and ticking forth isthis message from some one off this very houseboat. It reads: "MissValerie Fox, Beach Park. I am suspected of the murder of Mrs. Edwards.I appeal to you to help me. You must allow me to tell the truth aboutthe messages I intercepted for Mrs. Edwards which passed betweenyourself on the ocean and Mr. Edwards in New York via Seaville. Yourejected me and would not let me save you. Now you must save me."
Kennedy paused, then added, "The message is signed by Dr. Jermyn!"
At once I saw it all. Jermyn had been the unsuccessful suitor for MissFox's affections. But before I could piece out the rest of the tragicstory, Kennedy had started the phonograph record at an earlier pointwhich he had skipped for the present.
"Here's another record--a brief one--also to Valerie Fox from thehouseboat: 'Refuse all interviews. Deny everything. Will see you assoon as present excitement dies down.'"
Before Kennedy could finish, Waldon had leaped forward, unable longerto control his feelings. If Kennedy had not seized his arm, I verilybelieve he would have cast Dr. Jermyn into the bay into which hissister had fallen two nights before in her terribly weakened condition.
"Waldon," cried Kennedy, "for God's sake, man--wait! Don't youunderstand? The second message is signed Tracy Edwards."
It came as quite as much a shock of surprise to me as to Waldon.
"Don't you understand?" he repeated. "Your sister first learned fromDr. Jermyn what was going on. She moved the Lucie down here nearSeaville in order to be near the wireless station when the ship bearingher rival, Valerie Fox, got in touch with land. With the help of Dr.Jermyn she intercepted the wireless messages from the Kronprinz to theshore--between her husband and Valerie Fox."
Kennedy was hurrying on now to his irresistible conclusion. "She foundthat he was infatuated with the famous stage beauty, that he wasplanning to marry another, her rival. She accused him of it, threatenedto defeat his plans. He knew she knew his unfaithfulness. Instead ofbeing your sister's murderer, Dr. Jermyn was helping her get theevidence that would save both her and perhaps win Miss Fox back tohimself."
Kennedy had turned sharply on Edwards.
"But," he added, with a glance that crushed any lingering hope that thetruth had been concealed, "the same night that Dr. Jermyn arrived here,you visited your wife. As she slept you severed the nerves that meantlife or death to her. Then you covered the cuts with the preparationwhich you knew Dr. Jermyn used. You asked him to stay, while you wentaway, thinking that when death came you would have a perfectalibi--perhaps a scapegoat. Edwards, the radio detective convicts you!"