CHAPTER VI
THE INQUEST
The crowd, which early in the day had gathered about Fair Oaks,instead of diminishing, seemed rather to increase as the hoursslipped away. Little by little the facts became known tooutsiders,--the loss of the old family jewels, concerning whose existenceand probable value vague rumors had been circulated in the past, thedrawing up of the will on the preceding day and its strangedisappearance in connection with the sudden and mysterious death ofthe testator,--all combined to arouse public interest and curiosityto an unusual degree; it seemed the culmination of the impenetrablemystery which for years had shrouded the place.
As the hour for the inquest approached, the crowd was augmented byeach suburban train, until a throng of business men of all classes,interspersed with numerous reporters eager for the details of theaffair, covered the grounds and even sought admittance to the house,for the millionaire broker, though a man of few intimate friendships,was widely known and honored in the financial and commercial world.
Shortly after the arrival of the 2.45 train from the city, theMainwaring carriage came rapidly up the avenue, two or three othercarriages following in the rear. As it stopped, Mr. Whitneyalighted, followed by an elderly gentleman of fine appearance andtwo officers of the special police, who immediately began to forceback the crowd, while the attorney and his companion hastily enteredthe house and were met by the butler, who, in response to a hurriedinquiry, directed them up-stairs.
In the private library they found the detective who had been leftthere alone at his own request. There was a brief interview betweenthe three, after which Mr. Whitney begged his companion to excusehim for a moment, and beckoning Mr. Merrick into the tower-room,asked eagerly,--
"Well, what success? Have you struck the trail?"
With an enigmatical smile, the detective replied, "The game hasdoubled back on the trail pretty adroitly, but I have made one ortwo little discoveries that may be of value later. What do youthink of this?"
Opening a small note-book, he took therefrom several pieces of burntpaper, most of which were so blackened that the faint traces ofwriting which they bore were illegible. On a few pieces, however,words and parts of words could be distinctly read.
Mr. Whitney studied the bits of discolored paper for a moment, andthen exclaimed in excited tones,
"Good heavens, man! it is the will! The will drawn up in theserooms yesterday! See, here is the date, 'this seventh day of July,in the year of our'--the rest is gone."
"Here is part of a name," said the detective, "'nor HoughtonLaGra'--"
"Eleanor Houghton LaGrange!" exclaimed the attorney, "and belowyou can just trace the words, 'this amount of annuity to be'; andhere are other bits, 'as to my estate and all property,' 'to holdthe same forever, together with.' Well, I should say these wereof value; where did you find them?"
For answer, Mr. Merrick pointed to a small fireplace behind thesafe, near which a large screen was standing.
"Strange!" exclaimed the attorney. "I never noticed that before,much as I have been here."
"It escaped my observation for some time," replied the other. "Isearched the fireplace in the library, but this grate is very smalland was concealed by that large screen, as well as by the safe.Evidently, it was seldom used, and was selected for that reason bywhoever destroyed the will, as more likely to escape notice."
"Rather a bungling piece of work," commented the attorney, "leavingthese partially burned scraps. I wonder that he or she, whoever itwas, did not make sure that they were entirely consumed."
"The person may have heard some sound and, fearing detection,hastened away before the job was completed," suggested the other.
"Well, it is past three, we must hasten; you found nothing more?"
"Nothing of special importance. I have learned one fact, however;the murder was never committed in this room, but in the library."
"The library! Why do you think that?"
"I do not think it, I know it, and was confident of it while wewere making the examination this morning. Say nothing about it,however, for the present. We will go now, if you are ready."
Joining the gentleman still awaiting them in the library, theydescended into the lower hall, where the detective suddenlydisappeared.
Meanwhile, the coroner and members of the jury, after alightingfrom their carriages, marched gravely up the broad stairs and wereconducted by a servant into one of the private apartments where laythe body of the murdered man. Under the direction of Dr. Westlake,the jury individually viewed the wounds, noting their location andcharacter, and, after a brief visit to the room in the tower, allpassed downstairs and were shown into the large library on the firstfloor.
The coroner occupied a large arm-chair at one end of a longwriting-table in the centre of the room, the jury being seatedtogether near his left, while on each side of the table chairs hadbeen placed for the accommodation of a few of the more prominentreporters, the others, less favored, stationing themselves at thedoorways and open windows.
In the room back of the library were the servants, the women groupedabout the great arched doorway with white, frightened faces, the menstanding a little farther in the rear, while in a dim corner,partially concealed by the heavy portieres and unseen by any oneexcepting the servants, was the detective.
When everything was in readiness, Mr. Whitney entered the room withthe gentleman who had accompanied him out from the city and followedby the London guests. In the lead were Ralph Mainwaring and hisson, the entrance of the latter causing a small stir of interest andexcitement, as a score of pencils at once began to rapidly sketchthe features of the young Englishman, the intended heir of HughMainwaring. The young man's face wore an expression of unconcern,but his father's features were set and severe. To him, the loss ofthe will meant something more than the forfeiture of the exclusiveownership of a valuable estate; it meant the overthrow and demolitionof one of his pet schemes, cherished for twenty-one years, just onthe eve of its fulfilment; and those who knew Ralph Mainwaring knewthat to thwart his plans was a dangerous undertaking.
Mr. Thornton followed, escorting Mrs. Mainwaring and her daughter,the cold, gray eyes of Isabel Mainwaring flashing a look of haughtydisdain on the faces about her. Bringing up the rear was Mrs. Hogarthwith her two charges, Edith Thornton and Winifred Carleton, the faceof the latter lighted with an intelligent, sympathetic interest inher surroundings.
Harry Scott next entered, pausing in the doorway for an instant,while just behind him appeared Mrs. LaGrange. The room was alreadycrowded, and Miss Carleton, seated near the door, with a quickglance invited the young secretary to a vacant chair by her side,which he gracefully accepted, but not before a tiny note had beenthrust into his hand, unseen by any one excepting the detective.
Pale, but with all her accustomed hauteur, Mrs. LaGrange,accompanied by her son, passed slowly around the group of reporters,ignoring the chair offered by the attorney, and seated herself in aposition as remote as possible from the guests of the house andcommanding a full view of the servants. Her gown was noticeablefor its elegance, and her jewelled hands toyed daintily with asuperb fan, from whose waving black plumes a perfume, subtle andexquisite, was wafted to every part of the room.
In the silence that followed, the coroner, with a few brief words,called for the first witness, George Hardy. A young man, with afrank face and quiet, unassuming manner, stepped forward from thegroup of servants. After the usual preliminaries, the coronerinquired,--
"How long have you been in the employ of Mr. Mainwaring?"
"Nearly four years, sir."
"During that time you have held the position of valet?"
"Yes, sir."
"At what time this morning did you discover what had occurred?"
"About seven o'clock, sir."
"You may state how you came to make this discovery, giving fullparticulars."
"I had gone as usual to the bath-room to prepare the bath for Mr.Mainwaring, and when everything was
in readiness I knocked at hisdoor to waken him. There was no answer, and, after knocking severaltimes, I unlocked the door and looked in. I saw he had not occupiedthe room, but I didn't think much about that, and went on throughthe smoking-room into the library, and then I saw Mr. Mainwaringlying on the floor in the next room. At first I thought he was sickand went to him, but as I got nearer I saw that he was dead, andthen I noticed the revolver lying beside him."
"What did you then do?"
"I was frightened, sir, and I went to call help as quick as I could."
"Who was the first person whom you met and told of your discovery?"
"Well, sir, I went first for Mr. Whitney, because he was a friendof Mr. Mainwaring's and a lawyer, and I thought he would know whatto do; but on my way to his room I met Wilson, Mr. Ralph Mainwaring'svalet, and I told him what had happened; then I called Mr. Whitneyand told him Mr. Mainwaring had shot himself."
"Did you get the impression that Mr. Mainwaring bad shot himselffrom the fact that the revolver lay near his band, or had you anyother reasons for that inference?"
"No, sir, that was the only reason."
"Can you state positively whether this revolver belonged to Mr.Mainwaring?" asked the coroner, at the same time passing the weaponto Hardy.
"Yes, sir," replied the latter, promptly, handing it back after amoment's inspection, "that is Mr. Mainwaring's revolver. I'vecleaned it many a time, and there's little marks on it that I knowsure."
"Very well. After summoning Mr. Whitney, did you call any othermembers of the household?"
"Mr. Whitney sent me to call Mr. Ralph Mainwaring; but I met Wilsonagain, and he said he had just told Mr. Mainwaring and Mr. Thornton,and was on his way to the room of young Mr. Mainwaring. Down thehall I met the butler and told him what had happened, and we bothwent into the library, and I stayed there till Mr. Whitney came."
"When did you last see Mr. Hugh Mainwaring?"
"Shortly after dinner last evening, between seven and eight o'clock,I should say, sir."
"Where was that?"
"In the main hall down-stairs, sir. He stopped me to say that hewould not need me last evening, and that after locking up his roomsfor the night I could have my time to myself."
"Was the locking of his rooms usually included among your duties atnight?"
"Yes, sir; his private rooms and the hall on the south side."
"Did you have any stated time for doing this?"
"At nine o'clock, sir."
"You locked the rooms as usual last night?"
"Yes, sir; that is, I locked them all right, but it was later thanusual."
"How was that?"
"About half an hour after Mr. Mainwaring spoke to me, the housekeepercame and asked me to keep the rooms open till about ten o'clock, asshe was expecting callers and wanted to receive them by the southhall into her private parlor."
"At what time did you lock the rooms?"
"A few minutes after ten, sir. I felt kind of uneasy, because itwas Mr. Mainwaring's orders that the rooms be shut at nine; so soonas 'twas ten o'clock I went around outside, and, seeing no light inher parlor, I went in and locked the hall and then went up-stairsto lock the rooms there."
"Did you see any strangers about the place at that time?"
"No, sir."
"You saw no one in any of Mr. Mainwaring's private rooms?"
"No strangers, you mean? No, sir."
"Was there any one in his rooms?"
"The housekeeper was in the library. She had gone up-stairs thatway, she said, and had found the door into the main hall locked,and hearing me come, she waited for me to open it."
"Had you locked the door into the main hall?"
"No, sir; that door wasn't usually locked in the evening. I don'tknow who locked it, but I opened it for her and then locked itagain."
"Are you positive there was no one else in those rooms at that time?"
"Yes, sir, pretty sure," replied Hardy, with a smile, "for I lookedthem over uncommon thorough last night. I thought at first that Ismelled smoke, like something burning, but I looked around carefuland everything was all right."
At this point Mr. Whitney held a whispered consultation with thecoroner for a moment.
"You say," continued the latter, "you thought you smelled somethingburning; could you state what the material seemed to be?"
"Well, sir, I thought it was like paper burning; but I must havebeen mistaken, for the papers on the table was all right and therewas nothing in the fireplace."
"Did you see or hear anything unusual about the place at any timelast night?"
"No, sir."
For a moment the coroner was occupied with a slip of paper whichhad been passed to him through a number of hands; then he said,--
"Before you are dismissed, will you describe the locks used on thedoors of Mr. Mainwaring's library and the south hall."
"They had the ordinary locks, sir; and then, in addition, a small,patent lock, that when a certain spring was turned the door lockedof itself and could not be opened from either side unless one hadthe key and understood the working of the spring."
"Who had keys to fit these locks?"
"No one but Mr. Mainwaring. When he was home and wanted the doorsunlocked, he hung the keys in a particular place in the librarywhere I could find them, and when he went away he always took themwith him."
"Did you unlock the library doors this morning?"
"Only the door into the main hall when I went to call Mr. Whitney,--thathad nothing but an ordinary lock; but the other door, intothe south hall, was unlocked and the keys gone when I first wentinto the library."
"One question more. Do you know whether any one else in the househad knowledge of or access to, these particular keys?"
"I don't know for certain, sir, but I think not."
The attorney was next called upon, and came forward, while Hardyresumed his former place among the servants.
"Mr. Whitney," said the coroner, after the witness had given thedetails of his arrival in the tower-room in response to the valet'ssummons, "will you please state when, and under what circumstances,you last saw Hugh Mainwaring living."
"At nearly eleven o'clock last night. Mr. Mainwaring had justbidden his guests good-night, and I believe they had all retired totheir rooms, leaving him and myself together upon the veranda infront of the house. I remained with him about ten minutes, I shouldjudge, talking over the events of the day which had been of unusualinterest. I remember his remarking that he should not retire for anhour or so, as, to use his own expression, his thoughts would notlet him sleep. We clasped hands with an exchange of good wishes.That was the last I ever saw him living or heard him speak."
Mr. Whitney's voice trembled slightly towards the close of hisrecital, but as he repeated Hugh Mainwaring's words a smile of scornpassed over the face of Mrs. LaGrange, who was seated directlyopposite.
"Will you please state," said the coroner, "how Mr. Mainwaring hadbeen engaged during the day, yesterday."
"Until about half-past two his time was spent in the preparation,with the assistance of his secretary and myself, and the executionof his last will and testament. The remainder of the day was devotedto the entertainment of his guests."
"Will you give briefly and in general terms the conditions of thewill."
"With the exception of an annuity to his housekeeper and a handsomebequest to her son, it conveyed everything to his cousin andnamesake, Hugh Mainwaring, Jr., whom he intended to-day to formallydeclare his heir."
"Where was this document placed, Mr. Whitney?"
"It was, at Mr. Mainwaring's request, placed by his secretary on hisdesk in the tower-room."
"You can give no further information regarding this will, nowmissing?"
"Only this," replied Mr. Whitney, with marked emphasis, "that wenow have positive proof that the will was burned."
There was a general movement of surprise, both among the membersof the household and outsiders; and the attorney,
closely observantof Mrs. LaGrange, saw her cheek, which but a moment before, at hismention of the annuity contained in the will, had flamed with anger,suddenly assume a strange pallor.
"Mr. Whitney," continued the coroner, having consulted a smallmemorandum which he held, "do you know whether there were anystrangers at Fair Oaks yesterday?"
"I have no personal knowledge on that subject. The secretary informsme that a stranger inquired for Mr. Mainwaring in the afternoon, andremarks were made at luncheon, that impressed me considerably,regarding some one who had called in the forenoon, whether to see Mr.Mainwaring I am not prepared to state."
"Will you state the nature of those remarks?"
"I should prefer to be excused until later in this examination. Forthe present, I will merely say that one of Mr. Mainwaring's guestsincidentally met and recognized this caller; that the latter wasevidently well and unfavorably known by both Mr. Mainwaring and hisguests, and, if I am not mistaken, by the secretary also, and thatthe mention of the man's name seemed to affect Mr. Hugh Mainwaringvery unpleasantly."
"In what respect, Mr. Whitney?"
"He grew very pale and appeared confused, if not alarmed, onlearning that the man was in this country and had been seen at thishouse, and he seemed abstracted and very unlike himself for fullyan hour after the occurrence."
"Will you state the name of this man?"
"He was spoken of as Richard Hobson, formerly an attorney, of London."
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