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Page 15
"Indeed," said Mr. Herne, "though I had not thought of that theory
it seems to me so plausible, now that you mention it, that I think
the officers will show rare acumen if they adopt it. Very properly
may they hold that some projectile might have been shot through the
partly opened window and none of us have detected the act."
"Ah, yes," rejoined Maitland; "but when I ask them where this
implement is under this assumption, and remind them of what I shall
already have told them, viz., that Mr. Darrow sat back to the window
as well as over eight feet from it, and sat in a chair, the solid
back of which extended, like a protecting shield, fully six inches
above the top of his head, they will find it difficult to show how,
unless projectiles travel in sharp curves or angles, a man in this
position could thus receive a wound directly beneath his chin, a
wound so slight as not to penetrate the thyroid cartilage immediately
under it.
"The abandonment of this hypothesis will force them to relinquish
the idea that the murder was committed from without. What then
remains? Only the second alternative. They must either give up
altogether the idea of murder, or have recourse to what is known as
the theory of exclusive opportunity."
"Theory of exclusive opportunity," repeated Gwen, as a puzzled look
overspread her countenance. "I--I fear I do not quite understand
what you mean."
"Pardon me, Miss Darrow, for not making my meaning clearer to you,"
said Maitland with a deferential inclination of the head. "The
theory of exclusive opportunity, to state it plainly in this case,
means simply this: if Mr. Darrow were murdered, some one of us five,
we being the only ones having an opportunity to do the deed, must
be the assassin. Whether this view be taken, or that of suicide, it
becomes of paramount importance to find the weapon. Do you not now
see why I objected to having anyone leave the room? If, as appears
likely from my search, the weapon is not to be found, and if, as I
feel reasonably certain, either the suicide or the murder theory be
substantiated, then, anyone who left the room before official search
was made would be held to have taken the weapon with him and disposed
of it, because his would have been the exclusive opportunity of so
doing. Someone must have disposed of it, and no one else had a
chance to do so; that would be the way it would be stated. But,
since no one of us has left the room, a thorough search both of it
and of our persons, must convince the officers that we, at least,
are not responsible for the fact that the weapon is not forthcoming."
Maitland paused and looked at Browne as if he expected him to speak,
but that gentleman only shut his square jaws the more firmly together
and held his peace,--at least in so far as words were concerned.
If looks, like actions, "speak louder than words," this black visage
with its two points of fire made eloquent discourse. I charged all
this display of malice to jealousy. It is not altogether pleasant
to be placed at a disadvantage before the one being whose good
opinion one prizes above all things else,--that is to say, I have
read that such is the case. I do not consider my own views upon
such matters expert testimony. In all affairs of the heart my
opinions cease to have weight at exactly the point where that organ
ceases to be a pump.
Even Gwen, I think, noticed Browne's determined silence, for she
said to Maitland:
"I am very grateful that your forethought prevented me from causing
Mr. Browne even temporary annoyance by making him my messenger."
She paused a moment and then continued:
"You were speaking of the officers' theories. When they have
convinced themselves that no one of us has removed the weapon, what
then?"
"In my opinion," said Maitland, "they will ultimately fall back upon
the suicide theory, but they must find the weapon here before they
can substantiate it; for if it be not here someone must have taken
it away and that someone could have only been the one who used it
--the assassin, in short--but here are the officers. Let each one
of us insist upon being searched. They can send to the station for
a woman to search you," he said in an undertone to Gwen and then
added: "I trust you will pardon my suggesting a course which, in
your case, seems so utterly unnecessary, but, believe me, there are
urgent reasons for it which I can explain later. If we would hope
to solve this mystery, everything depends upon absolute thoroughness
at this juncture."
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