|
Main
- books.jibble.org
My Books
- IRC Hacks
Misc. Articles
- Meaning of Jibble
- M4 Su Doku
- Computer Scrapbooking
- Setting up Java
- Bootable Java
- Cookies in Java
- Dynamic Graphs
- Social Shakespeare
External Links
- Paul Mutton
- Jibble Photo Gallery
- Jibble Forums
- Google Landmarks
- Jibble Shop
- Free Books
- Intershot Ltd
|
books.jibble.org
Previous Page
| Next Page
Page 4
His close-cropped hair was brilliantly red, and so was his short,
wiry, aggressive moustache. He was ruddy of complexion, and he
looked out unblinkingly upon the world with a pair of steel-blue
eyes. Neat he was to spruceness, and while of no more than
medium height he had the shoulders of an acrobat.
The detective who stood beside him, by name John Durham, had one
trait in common with his celebrated superior. This was a quick
keenness, a sort of alert vitality, which showed in his eyes, and
indeed in every line of his thin, clean-shaven face. Kerry had
picked him out as the most promising junior in his department.
"Give me the particulars," said the Chief Inspector. "It isn't
robbery. He's wearing a diamond ring worth two hundred pounds."
His diction was rapid and terse--so rapid as to create the
impression that he bit off the ends of the longer words. He
turned his fierce blue eyes upon the uniformed officer who stood
at the end of the slab.
"They are very few, Chief Inspector," was the reply. "He was
hauled out by the river police shortly after midnight, at the
lower end of Limehouse Reach. He was alive then--they heard his
cry--but he died while they were hauling him into the boat."
"Any statement?" rapped Kerry.
"He was past it, Chief Inspector. According to the report of the
officer in charge, he mumbled something which sounded like: 'It
has bitten me,' just before he became unconscious."
"'It has bitten me,'" murmured Kerry. "The divisional surgeon
has seen him?"
"Yes, Chief Inspector. And in his opinion the man did not die
from drowning, but from some form of virulent poisoning."
"Poisoning?"
"That's the idea. There will be a further examination, of
course. Either a hypodermic injection or a bite."
"A bite?" said Kerry. "The bite of what?"
"That I cannot say, Chief Inspector. A venomous reptile, I
suppose."
Kerry stared down critically at the swollen face of the victim,
and then glanced sharply aside at Durham.
"Accounts for his appearance, I suppose," he murmured.
"Yes," said Durham quietly. "He hadn't been in the water long
enough to look like that." He turned to the local officer. "Is
there any theory as to the point at which he went in?"
"Well, an arrest has been made."
"By whom? of whom?" rapped Kerry.
"Two constables patrolling the Chinatown area arrested a man for
suspicious loitering. He turned out to be a well-known
criminal--Jim Poland, with a whole list of convictions against
him. They're holding him at Limehouse Station, and the theory is
that he was operating with------" He nodded in the direction of
the body.
"Then who's the smart with the swollen face?" inquired Kerry.
"He's a new one on me."
"Yes, but he's been identified by one of the K Division men. He
is an American crook with a clean slate, so far as this side is
concerned. Cohen is his name. And the idea seems to be that he
went in at some point between where he was found by the river
police and the point at which Jim Poland was arrested."
Kerry snapped his teeth together audibly, and:
"I'm open to learn," he said, "that the house of Huang Chow is
within that area."
Previous Page
| Next Page
|
|