"You were speaking of the officers' theories.When they have convinced themselves that no one of us has removed the weapon, what then?""In my opinion," said Maitland, "they will ultimately fall back upon the suicide theory, but they must find the weapon here before they cansubstantiate it; for if it be not here someone must have taken it away and that someone could have only been the one who used it - the assassin, in short - but here are the officers.Let each one of us insist upon being searched.They can send to the station for a woman to search you," he said in an undertone to Gwen and then added: "I trust you will pardon my suggesting a course which, in your case, seems so utterly unnecessary, but, believe me, there are urgent reasons for it which I can explain later.If we would hope to solve this mystery, everything depends upon absolute thoroughness at this juncture.""I should evince but poor appreciation," Gwen replied, "of the ability you have already shown should I fail to follow your slightest suggestion.It is all I can offer you by way of thanks for the kind interest you have taken."The return of Officer Barker, accompanied by three other men, now changed the tide of conversation.Maitland advanced and shook hands with one whom he introduced as Mr.Osborne, and this gentleman in turn introduced his brother officer, a Mr.Allen, and , a special detective.
Osborne impressed me as a man of only mediocre ability, thoroughly imbued with the idea that he is exceptionally clever.He spoke loudly and, I thought, a bit ostentatiously, yet withal in a manner so frank and hearty that I could not help liking the fellow.
, on the contrary, seemed retiring almost to the point of self-abnegation.He said but little, apparently preferring to keep in the background, where he could record his own observations in his note-book without too frequent interruption.His manner was polished in the extreme, and so frank withal that he seemed to me like a man of glass through whom every thought shone unhindered.I wondered how one who seemed powerless to conceal his own emotions should possess a detective's ability to thread his way through the dark and hidden duplicity of crime.When he spoke it was in a low, velvety, and soothing voice, that fell upon the ear with an irresistible charm.When Osborne would make some thoughtless remark fraught with bitterness for Gwen, such an expression of pain would flit across 's fine face as one occasionally sees in those highly organised and sympathetic natures, - usually found among women if a doctor'sexperience may be trusted, - which catch the throb of another's hurt, even as adjacent strings strive to sing each other's songs.
seemed to me more priest than detective.His clean-shaven face, its beautifully chiselled features suffused with that peculiar pallor which borrows the transparency of marble; the large, limpid brown eyes and the delicate, kindly mouth - all these, combined with a faultless manner and a carriage suggestive of power in reserve, so fascinated me that I found myself watching him continually.I remember saying to myself: "What a rival he would make in a woman's affections!"At just that time he was looking at Gwen with tender, solicitous sympathy written in every feature, and that doubtless suggested my thought.
Mr.Allen was even more ordinary than Mr.Osborne in manner and appearance.I do not presume to judge his real merits, for I did not notice him sufficiently to properly portray him to you, even if I had the gift of description, which I think you will admit I have not.He lives in my memory only as a something tall, spare, coarse of texture, red, hairy, and redolent of poor tobacco.
How different men are! (Of course women are all alike!) While Osborne, like a good-natured bumble-bee, was buzzing noisily about, as though all the world were his clover-blossom; and Allen, so far as I know, was doing nothing; , alert and keen despite his gentleness and a modesty which kept him for the most part unobtrusively in the shadow of his chosen corner, was writing rapidly in a note-book and speaking no word.It seemed as if nothing escaped him.Clearly he was there to enlighten himself rather than others.At length, pausing to make a measurement, he noticed my gaze and said to me in an undertone, as he glanced solicitously at Gwen lest she should hear:
"Pardon me, but did any of you observe anything, at or about the time of Mr.Darrow's death, which impressed you as singular, - any noise, any shadow, any draught or change of temperature, say a rushing or I might say swishing sound, - anything, in fact, that would seem to you as at all unusual?""Nothing whatever," I replied."Everything seemed perfectly normaland commonplace."
"Hum!Strange!" he said, and returned to his notes.
I felt sure had had a theory and that my testimony had not strengthened it, but he did not volunteer any information, neither did he take part in the conversation of his companions, and so my curiosity remained ungratified.It was clear that 's methods were very different from those of Osborne and Allen.
