Williams, hoping that the photographs of the prints on the envelope would be ready for his examination.
No photographs had come, but there was a report on the tie which had been sent to Faith Brothers' factory at Northwood. The only consignment of that pattern of tie sent out in the last year was a box of six in various shades which had been sent as a repeat order at the request of their Nottingham branch. They returned the tie and hoped that if they could be of any further use the inspector would command them.
"If nothing important turns up between now and tomorrow," said Grant, "I shall go down to Nottingham while you are doing the banks."
And then a man came in with photographs of the envelope prints, and Grant took from his desk the photographs of the other prints in the case the prints of the dead man's fingertips and the prints found on the revolver. Nothing but smudges, the report said, had been found on any of the bank-notes, so Grant and the sergeant applied themselves to the examination of the envelope prints. A variety of impressions were apparent since several people had handled the envelope since the writer had posted the letter. But clear and perfect and without possibility of doubt was the print of a forefinger to the right of the flap, and the forefinger was the same forefinger that had left its mark on the revolver found in the dead man's pocket.
"Well, that fits your theory about the friend who supplied the gun, doesn't it?" said Grant.
But the sergeant made a queer choked noise and continued to look at the print.
"What's the matter? It's as clear as a kid's alphabet."
The sergeant straightened himself and looked queerly at his superior. "I'll swear I hadn't a glass too much, sir. But it's either that or the whole fingerprint system is balmy. Look at that!" He pointed with a not too steady forefinger at a print in the extreme lower right-hand corner, and as he did so he shoved the dead man's fingerprints, which had lain slightly apart, under Grant's nose. For a little there was silence while the inspector compared the prints and the sergeant, over his shoulder, half-fearfully corroborated his previous view. But there was no getting away from the fact that faced them in irrefutable whorls and ridges. The fingerprint was that of the dead man.
It was only a moment or two before Grant realized the simple significance of that apparently staggering fact.
"Communal notepaper, of course," he said offhandedly, while his looker-on half mocked at him for having allowed himself to be victimized even for a moment by the childish amazement that had overcome him. "Your theory blossoms, Williams. The man who lent the gun and provided the money lived with the dead man. That being so, of course he can spin any kind of yarn he likes to his landlady or his wife or whoever would be interested about the disappearance of his chum." He took up the telephone on his desk. "We'll see what the handwriting people have to say about the piece of notepaper."
But the handwriting experts had nothing to add to what Grant already knew or guessed. The paper was of a common type that could be bought at any stationer's or bookstall. The printing was that of a man. Given a specimen of a suspect's handwriting, they would probably be able to say whether or not the printing had been done by him, but so far they could be of no more help than already indicated.
Williams departed to his temporarily bereaved home to comfort his uxorious mind by reminding himself how short a week was, and how pretty Mrs. Williams would be when she came back from Southend; and Grant remained where he was, trying to mesmerize the dagger into giving up its tale. It lay on the dark green leather surface of his desk, a graceful, wicked, toy-like thing, its business end in its slender viciousness making a queer contrast to the bluff saint on the handle with his silly, expressionless face. Grant considered the saintly features sardonically. What was it Ray Marcable had
No photographs had come, but there was a report on the tie which had been sent to Faith Brothers' factory at Northwood. The only consignment of that pattern of tie sent out in the last year was a box of six in various shades which had been sent as a repeat order at the request of their Nottingham branch. They returned the tie and hoped that if they could be of any further use the inspector would command them.
"If nothing important turns up between now and tomorrow," said Grant, "I shall go down to Nottingham while you are doing the banks."
And then a man came in with photographs of the envelope prints, and Grant took from his desk the photographs of the other prints in the case the prints of the dead man's fingertips and the prints found on the revolver. Nothing but smudges, the report said, had been found on any of the bank-notes, so Grant and the sergeant applied themselves to the examination of the envelope prints. A variety of impressions were apparent since several people had handled the envelope since the writer had posted the letter. But clear and perfect and without possibility of doubt was the print of a forefinger to the right of the flap, and the forefinger was the same forefinger that had left its mark on the revolver found in the dead man's pocket.
"Well, that fits your theory about the friend who supplied the gun, doesn't it?" said Grant.
But the sergeant made a queer choked noise and continued to look at the print.
"What's the matter? It's as clear as a kid's alphabet."
The sergeant straightened himself and looked queerly at his superior. "I'll swear I hadn't a glass too much, sir. But it's either that or the whole fingerprint system is balmy. Look at that!" He pointed with a not too steady forefinger at a print in the extreme lower right-hand corner, and as he did so he shoved the dead man's fingerprints, which had lain slightly apart, under Grant's nose. For a little there was silence while the inspector compared the prints and the sergeant, over his shoulder, half-fearfully corroborated his previous view. But there was no getting away from the fact that faced them in irrefutable whorls and ridges. The fingerprint was that of the dead man.
It was only a moment or two before Grant realized the simple significance of that apparently staggering fact.
"Communal notepaper, of course," he said offhandedly, while his looker-on half mocked at him for having allowed himself to be victimized even for a moment by the childish amazement that had overcome him. "Your theory blossoms, Williams. The man who lent the gun and provided the money lived with the dead man. That being so, of course he can spin any kind of yarn he likes to his landlady or his wife or whoever would be interested about the disappearance of his chum." He took up the telephone on his desk. "We'll see what the handwriting people have to say about the piece of notepaper."
But the handwriting experts had nothing to add to what Grant already knew or guessed. The paper was of a common type that could be bought at any stationer's or bookstall. The printing was that of a man. Given a specimen of a suspect's handwriting, they would probably be able to say whether or not the printing had been done by him, but so far they could be of no more help than already indicated.
Williams departed to his temporarily bereaved home to comfort his uxorious mind by reminding himself how short a week was, and how pretty Mrs. Williams would be when she came back from Southend; and Grant remained where he was, trying to mesmerize the dagger into giving up its tale. It lay on the dark green leather surface of his desk, a graceful, wicked, toy-like thing, its business end in its slender viciousness making a queer contrast to the bluff saint on the handle with his silly, expressionless face. Grant considered the saintly features sardonically. What was it Ray Marcable had
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