And yet, I had a vague idea that we ought all to stay.
"I shall remain and face the music," I heard Mrs. Reeves saying.
"Where _is_ Vicky? Do you suppose she knows about this? I"m going up in the music room to see if she"s there. You know, with all the excitement down here, those upstairs may know nothing of it."
"I shall remain, too" said Ariadne Gale. "Why should anyone kill Mr.
Somers? Did the caterer"s people do it? What an awful thing! Will it be in the papers?"
"_Will_ it!" said Garrison, who was standing near. "Reporters may be here any minute. Must be here as soon as the police come. Where is Miss Van Allen?"
"I don"t know," and Ariadne began to cry.
"Stop that," said Mrs. Reeves, gruffly, but not unkindly. "Stay if you want to, Ariadne, but behave like a sensible woman, not a silly schoolgirl. This is an awful tragedy, of some sort."
"What do you mean, of some sort?" asked Miss Gale.
"I mean we don"t know what revelations are yet to come. Where"s Norman Steele? Where"s the man who brought this Somers here?"
Sure enough, where was Steele? I had forgotten all about him. And it was he who had introduced Somers to the Van Allen house, and no one else present, so far as I knew, was previously acquainted with the man now lying dead the other side of that closed door.
I looked over the people who had stayed. Only a handful--perhaps half a dozen.
And then I wondered if I"d better go home myself. Not for my own sake, in any way; indeed, I preferred to remain, but I thought of Aunt Lucy and Win. Ought I to bring on them any shadow of trouble or opprobrium that might result from my presence in that house at that time? Would it not be better to go while I could do so? For, once the police took charge, I knew I should be called on to testify in public. And even as I debated with myself, the police arrived.
CHAPTER III
THE WAITER"S STORY
Doctor Remson"s police call had been imperative, and Inspector Mason came in with two men.
"What"s this? What"s wrong here?" the big burly inspector said, as he faced the few of us who had remained.
"Come in here, inspector," said the doctor, from the dining-room door.
And from that moment the whole aspect of the house seemed to change.
No longer a gay little bijou residence, it became a court of justice.
One of the men was stationed at the street door and one at the area door below. Headquarters was notified of details. The coroner was summoned, and we were all for the moment under detention.
"Where is Miss Van Allen? Where is the lady of the house?" asked Mason. "Where are the servants? Who is in charge here?"
Was ever a string of questions so impossible of answers!
Doctor Remson told the main facts, but he was reticent. I, too, hesitated to say much, for the case was strange indeed.
Mrs. Reeves looked gravely concerned, but said nothing.
Ariadne Gale began to babble. That girl didn"t know how to be quiet.
"I guess Miss Van Allen is upstairs," she volunteered. "She was in the dining-room, but she isn"t here now, so she must be upstairs.
Shall I go and see?"
"No!" thundered the inspector. "Stay where you are. Search the house, Breen. I"ll cover the street door."
The man he called Breen went upstairs on the jump, and Mason continued. "Tell the story, one of you. Who is this man? Who killed him?"
As he talked, the inspector was examining Somers" body, making rapid notes in a little book, keeping his eye on the door, and darting quick glances at each of us, as he tried to grasp the situation.
I looked at Bert Garrison, who was perhaps the most favored of Miss Van Allen"s friends, but he shook his head, so I threw myself into the breach.
"Inspector," I said, "that man"s name is Somers. Further than that I know nothing. He is a stranger to all of us, and he came to this house to-night for the first time in his life."
"How"d he happen to come? Friend of Miss Van Allen?"
"He met her to-night for the first time. He came here with--" I paused. It was so hard to know what to do. Steele had gone home, ought I to implicate him?
"Go on--came here with whom? The truth, now."
"I usually speak the truth" I returned, shortly. "He came with Mr.
Norman Steele."
"Where is Mr. Steele?"
"He has gone. There were a great many people here, and, naturally, some of them went away when this tragedy was discovered."
"Humph! Then, of course, the guilty party escaped. But we are getting nowhere. Does n.o.body know anything of this man, but his name?"
n.o.body did; but Ariadne piped up, "He was a delightful man. He told me he was a great patron of art, and often bought pictures."
Paying little heed to her, the inspector was endeavoring to learn from the dead man"s property something more about him.
"No letters or papers," he said, disappointedly, as he turned out the pockets. "Not unusual--in evening togs--but not even a card or anything personal--looks queer--"
"Look in his watch," said Ariadne, bridling with importance.
Giving her a keen glance, the inspector followed her suggestion. In the back of the case was a picture of a coquettish face, undoubtedly that of an actress. It was not carefully fastened in, but roughly cut out and pressed in with ragged edges.
"Temporary," grunted the inspector, "and recently stuck in. Some chicken he took out to supper. He"s a club man, you say?"
"Yes, Mr. Steele said so, and also vouched for his worth and character." I resented the inspector"s att.i.tude. Though I knew nothing of Somers, and didn"t altogether like him, yet, I saw no reason to think ill of the dead, until circ.u.mstances warranted it.
Further search brought a thick roll of money, some loose silver, a key-ring with seven or eight keys, eyegla.s.ses in a silver case, handkerchiefs, a gold pencil, a knife, and such trifles as any man might have in his pockets, but no directly identifying piece of property.
R. S. was embroidered in tiny white letters on the handkerchiefs, and a monogram R. S. was on his seal ring.
His jewelry, which was costly, the inspector did not touch. There were magnificent pearl studs, a watch fob, set with a black opal and pearl cufflinks. Examination of his hat showed the pierced letters R. S., but nothing gave clue to his Christian name.