The House Opposite: A Mystery

  CHAPTER III

  A CORONER'S INQUEST

  We took our places at the foot of the corpse, with our backs to thelight and silently awaited developments. In a few minutes McGorryreturned, followed by the electrician, and during the rest of thetime remained in the room checking off the men as they came in. It isneedless for me to repeat all the testimony, as a great deal of it wasperfectly irrelevant; suffice it to say that the electrician, engineer,and janitress all passed the ordeal without adding an iota to ourinformation. The watchman when called persisted, after the severestcross-questioning, in his first assertion that neither on Wednesdaynight nor last night had he seen or heard anything suspicious. The onlyperson he had admitted on either night was Mr. Atkins, who had returnedat about half-past one that very morning; he was sure that he had seenno stranger leave the building.

  At last Jim, the elevator boy, was called in. He appeared still verymuch frightened, and only looked at the corpse with the greatestreluctance.

  "Have you ever seen this man before?" demanded the Coroner.

  "No, sah," answered Jim, in a shaking voice.

  "Now, my lad, take another look at him. Are you still so sure that youhave never seen him before," gently insisted Mr. Merritt; "for, yousee, we have reason to believe that you have." Jim began to trembleviolently, as he cast another glance at the dead man.

  "Lord-a-massy, sah; p'raps I did, p'raps I did; I dunno, he looks somelike--not 'zactly----"

  "Do you know his name?"

  "No, sah."

  "When did you see him last?"

  "Tuesday ebenin', sah." Here the boy glanced apprehensively at McGorry.

  "Come, come, my lad," the Coroner exclaimed, impatiently; "tell us allyou know about the man. The truth, now, and the whole truth, mind you;and don't you look at any one to see how they are going to like what yousay, either."

  "No, sah." Jim hesitated a moment, then burst out: "I do think as he'sthe same gem'man as come to see Miss Derwent last winter, and he come tocall on her about half-past six on Tuesday."

  "Miss Derwent--" exclaimed McGorry, taking a step forward.

  "McGorry," said the Coroner, severely, "don't try to interfere withjustice and intimidate witnesses. Now, my boy, tell us how long did thegentleman stay with Miss Derwent."

  "Dey went out togedder 'most immedjutely, and den dey come backtogedder."

  "At what time did they return?"

  "Must have been 'bout eight, sah."

  "Did he go upstairs with the young lady?"

  "Yes, sah."

  "When did he leave?"

  "I can't say, sah; I didn't see him leave."

  "How was that?"

  "Well, you see, sah, in de summer, when de house is mos' empty, we's notso partic'lar as we are in de winter, and we takes turn and turn aboutoftener, 'specially in de ebenin'."

  "I see," said the Coroner.

  "An' so dat ebenin I goes off at half-past eight and Joe he run deelevator till eleben."

  "Did any one call on Miss Derwent yesterday?"

  "I see nobody, sah."

  "Did the young lady go out during the day?"

  "Yes, sah."

  "Tell us all you know of her movements."

  Jim rubbed his woolly pate in some perplexity: "Well, sah, yesterday deyoung lady she went out mighty early, little before eight, maybe, andden she come back about ten; but she don't stay long; goes out againmos' right away."

  Here Jim paused, evidently searching his memory.

  "'Pears to me she come in 'bout half-past twelve; at any rate 'twasn'tno later, and she goes out again immedjutely. Yes, sah, and den I seedher come in 'bout seven, and I aint seen her again," he ended up with asigh of relief.

  "And you are sure that she was alone each time you saw her?"

  "Yes, sah. A good many parcels come for her in de afternoon," he added.

  "Well, Jim," said the Coroner, "you may go now; but mind you, don't saya word about this business to any one; do you hear? If I find out youhave been gossipping I'll know how to deal with you," and he lookedso threatening that I'm sure the unfortunate boy expected capitalpunishment to follow any incautious remark.

  "Pardon me," said Mr. Merritt, with a slight bow towards the Coroner,"but I should like to ask Jim how this man was dressed when he saw himlast."

  "Just so 's he is now, sah," replied Jim, pointing to the Tuxedo coat,which had been thrown over the body.

  The negro lad who next appeared, bowing and scraping, was not at allintimidated by the scene before him, and seemed to think himself quitethe hero of the occasion.

  "Your name is Joe Burr, I believe," began the Coroner, consulting asmall paper he held in his hand, "and you run the elevator here?"

  "Yes, sah."

  "Now look carefully at this body and tell me if you recognize it as thatof anyone you know."

  The boy looked at the dead man attentively for some moments and thenanswered: "Yes, sah."

  "Who is he?"

  "I dunno his name, sah; he wouldn't send up his card."

  "Have you seen him often?"

  "No, sah; just dat once."

  "When was that?"

  "Tuesday ebenin', sah."

  "At what time?"

  "It was a quarter to ten, 'zactly."

  "How are you so sure of the exact time?" the Coroner asked, in somesurprise.

  "'Cause I thought it mighty late to call on a lady, and so I looked atde clock when I come down."

  "Do you remember his ever calling on Miss Derwent before?"

  "Why, sah, 'twasn't Miss Derwent he was calling on; 'twas Mrs. Atkins."This was a surprise; even the detective seemed interested.

  "So it was Mrs. Atkins he had been calling on," exclaimed the Coroner.

  "No, sah; it were Mrs. Atkins he gwine ter call on. He only come at aquarter to ten. He wouldn't send up his card; said he's 'spected."

  "And did Mrs. Atkins receive him?"

  "Yes, sah."

  "Do you remember at what time he left?"

  "No, sah; I didn't see him go out."

  "Now, Joe, there was another gentleman calling in the building on thatevening. When did he leave?"

  Joe seemed bewildered. "I didn't see no other gem'man, sah."

  "Now, my lad, try and remember!"

  "No, sah; I dun saw no one else. Mr. Stuart, he come in at ten----"

  "No, no; it is a tall, dark gentleman, slightly resembling the corpse,that we want to hear about."

  "I see no such party, sah."

  "Didn't a gentleman answering to this description call here at abouthalf-past six and ask for a lady?"

  "I couldn't say, sah; I wa'n't in de building at dat time."

  "Did you see Miss Derwent on Tuesday?"

  "Yes, sah; I seen her arrive."

  "Didn't you see her go out again?"

  "No, sah."

  "How long were you out?"

  "I went out at six, sah, and stayed till eight, or maybe later."

  "So you persist in saying that the only stranger you saw enter or leavethe building on Tuesday evening, was the deceased?"

  "Yes, sah."

  "And you are quite sure that you are not mistaken in youridentification?"

  "Yes, sah; I noticed him partic'lar."

  "What made you notice him particularly?"

  The lad hesitated. "Out with it," said the Coroner.

  "Well, sah, he seemed like he been drinking."

  "How did he show it?"

  "He talked loud and angry, sah."

  "Do you know what he was angry about?"

  "You see, sah, we have orders to ask visitors to send deir names, ordeir cards up, and to wait in de reception room till we find out if departies are at home, or will see dem. Well, he comes in and says veryloud, gettin' into de elevator, 'Take me up to de fifth floor,' and Isays, says I, 'Do you mean Mrs. Atkins?' and he says, 'Yes, fellow, andbe quick 'bout it.' And den I asks him to wait, and send up his card,and he roars: 'Min' your own business, fellow; I'm 'spected.' So I gwinet
ake him up, and rings de bell, and he says: 'Dat's all.' But I waitedtill de door opened, and there were Mrs. Atkins herself, and she didn'tsay not'in', and he jus' went in."

  Joe paused for breath.

  "Is Mrs. Atkins in the habit of answering the door-bell herself?"

  "No, sah; I neber see her do so befo'."

  "Was Mr. Atkins in the house at the time?"

  "No, sah; de gem'man was out of town." Another sensation!

  "When did he return?"

  "Some time las' night."

  "Now," inquired the Coroner, "what can you tell us about Miss Derwent'smovements during the last two days?"

  Joe's answers coincided, as far as they went, with Jim's statements.

  "And Mrs. Atkins,--what did she do yesterday," the Coroner asked.

  "Well, sah, she went out mighty early and stayed till late in dearternoon, and when she come in she had her veil all pulled down, but'peared to me she had been crying."

  "Did she say anything?"

  "No, sah."

  "Now, Joe, would it have been possible on Tuesday evening for a man towalk downstairs, and go out, without your seeing him, while you wererunning the elevator?"

  "Yes, sah, p'raps," the lad answered, dubiously; "but Tony, he's de hallboy, he would 'a seen him."

  "Have you told us all you know of the deceased?"

  "Yes, sah."

  "And you have not noticed any strangers hanging around the buildingduring the last few days?"

  "No, sah."

  "Very well, then; you may go. Send in Tony."

  "Yes, sah; t'ank you, sah," and Joe bowed himself out.

  A few minutes later a small darky appeared.

  "Now, Tony," began the Coroner, solemnly, "look at this man carefully;did you ever see him before?" The boy looked at the body attentively forsome time, then said: "No, sah."

  "Do you mean to say that you saw no one resembling the deceased come tothis building on Tuesday evening?"

  "No, sah."

  "Where were you on that evening? Now, be careful what you answer."

  "Well, sah, I went out 'bout half-past six to do some errands for Mr.McGorry." McGorry nodded assent to this.

  "And when did you return?"

  "Guess it must have been mos' eight, sah, but I disremember, 'zactly."

  "Did you see Miss Derwent either come in or go out on Tuesday evening?"

  "Yes, sah, I seen her come; she had a satchel."

  "But did you see her again after that?"

  "No, sah."

  "Mrs. Atkins--what did she do on Tuesday?"

  "Dunno, sah; didn't see her go out all day."

  "And yesterday, what did she do then?"

  "Mrs. Atkins? She went out in de mornin' and come in in de ebenin'."

  "Did you notice anything unusual about her?"

  "Well, 'peared to us she'd been crying."

  "Can you remember who went in or out of the building on Tuesdayevening?" the Coroner asked.

  "Well, sah, near's I can say only two gem'men come in--Mr. Stuart, and agem'man who called on Mrs. Atkins."

  "Does the corpse at all resemble that gentleman?"

  "I couldn't rightly say, sah."

  "Why not?"

  "Well, sah, I was a-sittin' in de office when he come, an' I jus' see abig man go past and heard him talkin' loud in de elevator."

  "While Joe was upstairs what did you do?"

  "I sat in de front hall, sah."

  "Did you see anyone go out?"

  "No, sah."

  After being severely admonished not to speak of this affair to anyone,Tony was allowed to depart.

  "Now we have got through with the employees of the building," said theCoroner, "and must begin on the families and their servants."

  "Yes, Mr. Coroner, and I think I had better step up-stairs myself andtell Mr. and Mrs. Atkins that you want to see them," said Mr. Merritt,"and, in case the lady should be overcome by the sad news, perhaps itwould be as well for Dr. Fortescue to come along also."

  I was only too delighted, of course.