The Poisoned Pen (From the Craig Kennedy series)

he new Hotel Vanderveer one evening after reclaiming our hats from the plutocrat who had acquired the checking privilege. We ha

ed Kennedy,

inner given to the President not long ago and he told me a great yarn about how the secret service, the police, and the hotel co

nd had caught my eye. Much to my

y name, though he had seen me only once and then fo

d, wondering wh

the house a little-er-favour?" he ask

led attempt to secure a little free advertising for the Vanderveer

spered aside, turning q

e house man deferentially,

that you knew some interesting yarns about hotel detective life. I sho

ead?" interrupted the house detect

se me more. What is it-a 'c

d. "It's either a suicide or a murder. Come upstairs with me. There isn't a man in

the floor clerk, the house detective led the way down the thickly carpeted hall, stopping at a room which, we could

gh all the lights were turned on, the room was empty. McBride crossed the room quickly, opened a doo

e had been, too, though not with the freshness which makes American women so attractive. There was someth

It was enough for me that here lay this cold, stony, rigid beauty, robed in the latest creations of Paris, alone in an elegantly furnished room of an excl

estruck for

paper men to keep this thing off the front pages? Of course something has to be printed about it. But we don't want to hoodoo the hotel right at the start. We had a suicide the other day who left an apologetic note that was played up by some of the papers. Now comes this affair. The management are just as

Kennedy. "At least, under w

r with foreign labels, not an American label among them. I haven't the slightest doubt that her name was fictitious, for as far as I can see all the ordinary marks of identification have

the hotel offered any clue, no m

them. But she was evidently expecting some one, for her maid had left word at the desk that if a Mr. Gonzales called, she was at home; if any one else, she was out. For the first day or two she kept herself closely confined, except that at the end of the second day she took a short spin through the park in a taxicab-closed, even in this hot weather. Where she went I cannot say, but when they returned the maid

Did this Mr. Gonzales call

" answered McBride. "That was what the clerk was telling me when I happened to catch sight of you.

" asked Craig. "Did she leave any card

for a time as if he hesitated to ret

society news and the illustrated papers he is sure that he recognised h

aimed Kennedy. "Why, the pap

heiress who is rumoured to be en

had heard a few days before from our society reporter on the Star, "I b

er there may be in it, the fact remains that Madame de Nevers, supposing that to be her real name, has been dead for at least a day or two. The first thing to be dete

of the hotel clerk. He had been making a casual examination of the body on the bed, and finding nothi

have been done in a crowded hotel in which the rooms on every side had been occupied and people had been passing thr

es of glass. He was regarding them with an interest that was oblivious to everything else. As he turned them over and over and tried to fit them t

overed?" asked Craig a

de qu

had asked her to say to him that she was going away for a few days and that under no circumstances was her room to be disturbed in her absence. The maid was commissioned to pay

y or two longer, if the chambermaid hadn't been a bit curious. She hunted till she found another key that fitted, and opened the closet door, apparently to see what Madame had been so pa

aid? What has become of h

"From the moment when the bill was pai

on of her, one that you could send ou

uld give a pretty

o be a most unusual case," he remarked in answer to the implied inquiry

his head in

se the most potent, quickest-acting stupefying drugs. Some of their exploits surpass anything hitherto even imagined by the European police. The American police ha

'etyle, bromoform, nitrite d'amyle, and amyline are known to be utilised by the endormeurs to put their victims to sleep, and the skill which they have acquired in the use of these powerful drugs establis

efy, rob, and then leave his victim. There is something more to this case than a mere suicide or murder, McBride. Of course she may have committed suicide with the drugs of the endormeurs; then again she may merely have been rendered unconscious by those drugs and some other po

brought his right fist down with a resoun

cafe, where I saw a face that looked familiar to me. It was that of a dark-haired, olive-skinned man, a fascinating face, but a face to be afraid of. I remembered him, I thought, from my

ystem in the hotel by which I can turn all the help into amateur sleuths. I told him to be very careful about the dark-faced man

t three times during his chat with his companion Charley had wiped off his table with lingering hand. Twice he had put fresh seltzer in his drink. Like a good waiter always working for a big tip he had hovered

ch he did not name but which the younger man seemed to understand. They talked of wharves and tracts of land, of sovereignty and blue prints, the Monroe Doctrine, value in case of war, and a lot of other things. Then they talked of money, and though Charley was most assiduous at the time all he overheard was something about 'ten thousand francs' and 'buying her off,' and finally a whispered

care much what it was, at the time. It might have been an attempt of the dark-visaged fellow to sell the Canal to a come-on. What I wanted was to

uriously at not getting any apology. 'Sacre,' he exclaimed, 'what the-' But before he could finish I moved still closer and pinched his elbow. A dull red glow of suppressed anger spread over his face, but he cut his words short. He knew and I knew he knew. That is the sign in the continental hotels when they find a crook and quietly ask him to move on. The man turned on his heel and stalked

ct that incident with

d Kennedy, a

a man bidding good-bye to a woman at the rear carriage entrance of the hotel. The w

od description of the maid or could writ

"You know we have recently formed a sort of clearing house, we hotel detectives, and we are working together now very well, though se

tectives on the trail as well as the police of the city, and of other cities, will make the inquiries at the steamships and railroads, and all that sort of t

," agreed McBri

he door and McBride open

n we had already obtained so concisely from the house man. The coroner was, of course, angry at the removal of the body from the closet to the bed because he wanted to view

ouldn't have been illuminating gas, then. No, it must have been a poison of some kind. Then as to the motive," he added, trying to look confident but really shooting a tentative remark at Craig and the house detective, who said nothing. "It looks a good deal like that other suicide-at least a suicide which some one has en

ave the maid to be found by your organisation, McBride. Let me see, the theatres and roof gardens must be letting ou

ly moderate as American fortunes go nowadays, lived in an apartment facing the park, with her mother,

was late, Kennedy sent up his card with an urgent message to see them. They received us in a large drawing-

gan Mrs. Lovelace in a tone which was intended t

t of course he did not even hint as much in his repl

nderveer?" asked Craig, turning quickly to the daughter so as to catch the ful

er breath for an instant, but she kept her composure admirably in

d with forced calmness as he continued to l

evers has committed suicide at the Vanderveer and

again, from which I argued that whatever knowledge she h

ver saw her. I simply know

showed more plainly than in mere words that she

rcilessly. "One moment, please," he added, anticipating the blank look of amazement on h

merely raised her should

k or in Washington

ough that some of the newspapers have said so? If you

int. Whether or not the duke was in New York or Washington or Spitzbergen, he now felt sure that Miss Lovelace knew of, and perhaps something about, Madame de Nevers. In some way the

g decided to sleep soundly over the case, his infallible met

oner himself, who in a few words explained that he was far from s

iological investigations in cases of homicide and suicide. We are often forced to resort to private laboratories, as you know in the past when I have had to appeal to you. Now, Professor Kennedy, if we

y, though he did not allow the

cessary organs for a thorough test as to the cause of the death

aig's scientific workshop before that official appeared, accompanied by a man who carr

ade him a leading factor in its solution. Whatever suspicions he may have ent

talking half to us and half to himself as he worked. The next step was to place the matter in a glass flask in a water bath where it was heated. From

ennedy took a piece of paper which had been treated with iodised starch, as he later

hed for a bottle on the shelves before him, and I could see from the label on the brown glass that it was ni

hloroform," he exclaimed simply i

us chloroform case for which a man is now serving a life term in Sing Sing which I have understood there was grave doubt in the minds of the experts. Mind, I am not trying to question the results of your work except as they might naturally be questioned in court. It seems to me that the volatility of chloroform might very possibly preclude it

ut his confidence

practical working range of say twelve days, while in winter it may be found even after several months-by the right method. Certainly this case comes within the average length of time. More than that, no substance is generated by the process of decomposition which will vitiate

s if the turn of events was necessitating a co

dy in a tone that left nothing

t that it was done without a struggle? There were no marks of violence and I, for one, do not believe that

some bonbons and lozenges, a small hypodermic syringe, and a few cigars and

denly she must have found a pocket handkerchief under her nose. The criminal crushed a globe of liquid in the handkerchief, the victim lost consciousness, the chloroform was administered without a struggle, all marks of identi

loath to abandon his own suicide theory and had held it to the last possible moment. At any rate, so far he had said l

the note as he glanced doubtfully from it to us, "that you have heard that among the

ing up the apparatus he had just used. There was nothing in his manner even to hin

mind telling you that I believe it was more than a rumour. I have had a man w

he now handed to us. It

hurriedly for Wash

ramifications grew wider than anything we had yet expected. Why had Miss L

came from McBride saying that he had some important news for us if we would meet hi

of his desk, broke it quickly, and looked thoughtfully at the cartridge

nst before we get back to the laboratory,"

n the cafe and a woman who might very possibly have been Madame's maid had come to the St. Cenis as M. and Mme. Duval. Their baggage was light, but they had been at pains to impress upon the hotel that they were persons of som

trange couple if they were not in. As it happened it was the lunch hour and they were not in the room. Still, Kennedy dared not

a few minutes, finding nothing, "that this is pre-eminently a case

said. "I'm afraid they would discover it, that is, if they are at all the clever people I think them. Besides, I would have to send up to the la

the side wall hung a cheap etching of a woodland scene. Kennedy

nstruments?" he asked at length, turning to

later he deposited the instruments on a table. Where he got them I

y, falling to work immediately on the telephones. The detective despatched

them placed the capsules on the table carefully. Then he lifted down the etching from th

per and the glass on the picture he mounted them so that the paper and

se interest at what he was doing, "will produce a strikingly sensitive micropho

couple in whose room we were had very nearly finished

ng from the huge transmitter up to the picture moulding. Along the top of the moulding and out through the transom it was easy eno

developments from our hastily improvi

it was evident from the expression of Kennedy's face that some one had ente

ought I wasn't reckoning without reason. The couple, whoever they are, are talking in unde

down as he listened to the conversation I shall reproduce it as if we had all heard it. There were some anxious moments until at last they had satisfied themse

cular, Henri?" a woma

hotels. You remember I told you what happened at the Vanderveer the night you and M

ould not tell me just now at luncheon?" asked the wom

m Washington. Wait u

at does it say?" asked

suicide or not. Worse than that the Secret Service must have wind of some part of our scheme, for they are acting suspiciously. I must g

iscovered Marie's body?" asked the woman. "I hope that that wasn't the

rk, I am convinced. You are sure that all her letters were secured, that all clues to connect her wit

the coaling station on the Pacific ne

the man. "Louise, sha

ou ke

w I can,

et. We know that they are a fake. But we are going to sell them through that friend of ours in the United States War Department. But that is only part of the coup, the part that will give us the money to turn the much larger coups we have in the future. You can understand why it has all to be done so secretly and how vexatious it is that

does Miss Lo

and had let any of de Nevers's letters slip through to Miss Lovelace. She richly deserved her fate for that act of treachery. The affair would have been so simple, otherwise. Luck was with us until her insane jealousy led her to

n will you retur

r Department and in exchange he is to give us something else-the secret of which I spoke. You see the trail leads up into high cir

time slip by. There must be no mistake this time as there was when we were working for Japan and

for a man named Gonzales. I shall use the name Montez. He is to appear, hand over the package-that thing I have told you about-then I am to return here by one of the midnight trains. At any cost we must allow nothing to happen which

ree-thirty; the next, leaving an hour later, did not arrive until nearly eleven. He had evidently had some idea of causing some delay that would result in our friend down th

vised dictograph. "Come, Walter, we must catch the limited for Washington immediately. McBride, I leav

We took up our post so that we could see the outgoing travellers, and a few minutes later Craig spotted ou

ting him know that we were watching him. Nevertheless I could not help asking myself what good it did. Why did not Kennedy hire a special if the affair was so important as it appeare

g rapidly up the platform in the direction of the cab stand. Suddenly

we came to a turn in the shadow of t

match-box. Instantly Kennedy's po

nd out Kennedy, crushing several of the little glass globes

if we had not caught him between us.

l. Drive us around a bit. It will sober him up. Com

t the time as to the cause, but it was understood later that a crisis was narrowly averted at a very inopportune season, for the heads of the departments were all away, the Pres

the year. There was treachery of some kind and some trusted employee was involved, I felt instinctively. As for Craig he merely glanced at the insensible figure between us and remarked sententiously that to hi

did he show signs of recovery from his profound stupor. Kennedy stopped the cab in a s

the house when a man walking in the opposite direction e

!" he ex

ot have been more startled. Here, in spite of all our h

he man by the arm. "Come," he said quickly,

was the first to speak

ecret Service,

faces." He was evidently referring to our experiences together some months before with the

pers. Under the dim light from the street I could s

ea when I took up this case that I should be doing my country a service also. We must succeed at any hazard. The moment you hear a pistol shot, Burke, we

s of the house and a ne

ales in?" as

ing-room, where a dim light was burning behind the thick portieres. Withou

z is here," added C

in a few minutes returned with the m

r. There was no sound. He took a chair and tiptoed out into the dark hall with it. Turning it upside down he pla

xt I knew was a muffled step on the lan

French followed as the man pitched hea

rostrate figure. I do not know what the ethics are of firing o

or. A sickening odour seemed to pervade the air.

t of commission without killing him. A pull of the trigger, the cap explodes, the gunpowder and the force of the explosion unite some capsicum and lycopodium, producing the blinding, suffocating vapour whose terrible effect you see. Here, you upstairs," h

my eyes off the stairs I opened it. Burke s

ped. "I heard a sho

d we saw him deftly slip a bright pair of manacles on the wrists of the man on the floo

et of papers, and gazed eagerly at one after another. From among them he unfolde

hington, U. S. A., has secured some important information which will interest t

o to the Vandeveer Hotel and in a few days, as soon as a certain exchange can be made, either our friend in Washington or myself will call on you, us

ed of money I have secured the work for you. You had better take your maid, as it is much better to travel with distinction in this case. If, however, you accept this commission I shall consider you in honour bound to surrender your claim upon my name for which I

EAUR

pose. Then by means of the treachery of the maid Louise and his friend Duval, a crook who would even descend to play the part of v

me. This blackmailing must stop. Miss Lovelace knows something, thanks to you, but she shall never know all-never-never. You-you-ugh!-Stop.

he delicate hands he had been dreaming of as he lived over the terrible

real swindler of five continents. Marie de Nevers alive stood in the way of

o the War Department and tell them they can turn out their lights and stop their telegrams. This seems to be a copy of our government's plans for the fortification of the Panama Canal, heights of guns, location of searchl

rvice to find the leak

is not the man who pla

hem. To me this adven

ely the murderer of