第24章

Helen shrugged her shoulders."I cannot answer that question, for I do not know his reason.If he had only confided in me" - her voice shook -" he might have been alive to-day.""How so?" Penfield shot the question at her.

"Because then he would have been spared the additional excitement of his trip to the police station and the scene in court, which brought on his attack of angina pectoris."Penfield regarded her for a moment in silence.

"I have no further questions, Miss McIntyre," he said, and turned to the morgue master."Ask Miss Barbara McIntyre to come to the platform." Turning back to his table and the papers thereon he failed to see the twins pass each other in the aisle.They were identically attired and when Coroner Penfield looked again at the witness chair, he stared in surprise at its occupant.

"I beg pardon, Miss McIntyre, I desire your sister to testify,"he remarked.

"I am Barbara McIntyre." A haunting quality in her voice caught Kent's attention, and he leaned eagerly forward, his eyes following each movement of her nervous fingers, busily twisting her gloves inside and out.

"I beg your pardon," exclaimed the coroner, recovering from his surprise.He had seen the twins at the police court on Tuesday morning for a second only, and then his attention had been entirely centered on Helen.He had heard, but had not realized until that moment, how striking was the resemblance between the sisters.

"Miss McIntyre," the coroner cleared his throat and commenced his examination."Where were you on Monday night?""At a dance given by Mr.and Mrs.Charles Grosvenor.""At what hour did you return?"

"I think it was half past five or a few minutes earlier.""Who let you in?"

"My sister."

"Did you see the burglar?"

"He had left," she answered."My sister told me of her adventure as we went upstairs to our rooms.""Miss McIntyre," Penfield picked up a page of the deputy coroner's closely written notes, and ran his eyes down it."Your sister has testified that James Turnbull went to your house disguised as a burglar on a wager with you.What were the terms of that wager?""I bet him that he could not enter the house after midnight without his presence being detected by our new police dogs," exclaimed Barbara slowly.She had stopped twirling her gloves about, and one hand was firmly clenched over the arm of her chair.

"Did the dogs discover his presence in the house?""Apparently not, or they would have aroused the household," she said.

"I cannot answer that question, though, because I was not at home.""Where are the dogs kept?"

"In the garage in the daytime."

"And at night?" he persisted.

"They roam about our house," she admitted, "or sleep in the boudoir, which is between my sister's bedroom and mine.

"Were the dogs in the house on Monday night?""I did not see them on my return from the dance.""That is not an answer to my question, Miss McIntyre," the coroner pointed out."Were the dogs in the house?"There was a distinct pause before she spoke."I recall hearing our butler, Grimes, say that he found the dogs in the cellar.Mr.

Turnbull's shocking death put all else out of my mind; I never once thought of the dogs.""In spite of the fact that it was a wager over the dogs which brought about the whole situation?" remarked the coroner dryly.

Barbara flushed at his tone, then grew pale.

"I honestly forgot about the dogs," she repeated."Father sent them out to our country place Tuesday afternoon; they annoyed our - our guest, Mrs.Brewster.""In what way?"

"By barking - 'they are noisy dogs."

"And yet they did not arouse the household when Mr.Turnbull broke into the house - Coroner Penfield regarded her sternly."How do you account for that?"Barbara's right hand stole to the arm of her chair and clasped it with the same convulsive strength that she clung to the other chair arm.When she spoke her voice was barely audible.

"I can account for it in two ways," she began."If the dogs were accidentally locked in the cellar they could not possibly hear Mr.

Turnbull moving about the house; if they were roaming about and scented him, they might not have barked because they would recognize him as a friend.""Were the dogs familiar with his step and voice?""Yes.Only last Sunday he played with them for an hour, and later in the afternoon took them for a walk in the country.""I see." Penfield stroked his chin reflectively."When your sister told you of finding the burglar and his arrest, did you not, in the light of your wager, suspect that he might be Mr.Turnbull?""No." Barbara's eyes did not falter before his direct gaze."Isupposed that Mr.Turnbull meant to try and enter the house in his own proper person; it never dawned on me that he would resort to disguise.Besides," as the coroner started to make a remark, "we have had numerous robberies in our neighborhood, and the apartment house two blocks from us has had a regular epidemic of sneak thieves."The coroner waited until Dr.Mayo, who had been writing with feverish haste, had picked up a fresh sheet of paper before resuming his examination.

"You accompanied your sister to the police court," he said."Did you see the burglar there?""Yes."

"Did you realize his identity in the court room?""No.I only awoke to - to the situation when I saw him lying dead with his wig removed.The shock was frightful"- she closed her eyes for a second, for the room and the rows of faces confronting her were mixed in a maddening maze and she raised her hand to her swimming head.When she looked up she found Coroner Penfield by her side.

"That is all," he said kindly."Please remain in the witness room, I may call you again," and he helped her down the step with careful attention.

Back in his corner Kent watched her departure.He was white to the lips.

"Heat too much for you?" asked a kindly-faced stranger, and Kent gave a mumbled "No," as he strove to pull himself together.

What deviltry was afoot? How dared the twins take such risks - to bear false witness was a grave criminal offense.He, alone, among all the spectators, had realized that in testifying before the inquest, the twins had swapped identities.