第28章

"I searched the cage where the prisoner had been seated and found this handkerchief," he went on to say."It had been dropped by Turnbull and was saturated with amyl nitrite.I had it examined by a chemist, who said that this amyl nitrite was given to patients with heart trouble in little pearl capsules to be crushed in handkerchiefs and the fumes inhaled.

"The chemist also told me that" - the detective spoke with impressive seriousness, "judging from the number of particles of capsules adhering to the linen, more than one capsule had been crushed by Turnbull.Here is the handkerchief," and he laid it on the table with great care.

Kent's heart sank; the moment he had dreaded all that long afternoon had come.Penfield inspected the handkerchief with interest, and then passed it to the jurors, cautioning them to handle it carefully.

"I note," he stated, turning again to Detective Ferguson, "that it is a woman's handkerchief.""It is," replied Ferguson."And embroidered in one corner is the initial 'B.'"Penfield ran his fingers through his gray hair."You may go, Ferguson," he said, and beckoned to the morgue master."Ask Miss Barbara McIntyre to return."The girl was quick in answering the summons.Kent, more and more worried, was watching the scene with painful attention.

"Did Mr.Turnbull have one of your handkerchiefs?" asked Penfield.

Her surprise at the question was manifest in her manner.

"He might have," she said."I have a dreadful habit of dropping my handkerchiefs around.""Did you miss one after his visit to your house on Monday night?""Miss McIntyre," Penfield took up the handkerchief which the foreman replaced on his desk a moment before, and holding it with care extended it toward the girl."Is this your handkerchief?"She inspected the handkerchief and the initial with curiosity, but with nothing more, Kent was convinced, and in his relief was almost guilty of disturbing the decorum of the inquest with a shout of joy.

"It is not my handkerchief," she stated clearly.

Penfield replaced the handkerchief on the table with the same care he had picked it up, and turned again to her.

"Thank you, Miss McIntyre; I won't detain you longer.Logan," to the morgue master, "ask Dr.Stone to step here."Almost immediately Stone reentered the room and hurried to the platform.

"Would two or more capsules of amyl nitrite constitute a lethal dose?" asked Penfield.

"They would be very apt to finish a feeble heart," replied Stone.

"Three capsules, if inhaled deeply would certainly kill a healthy person."Penfield showed the handkerchief to the physician."Can a chemist tell, from the particles clinging to this handkerchief, how many capsules have been used?""I should say he could." Stone looked grave as he inspected the linen, taking careful note of the letter "B" in one corner of the handkerchief."But there is this to be considered - Turnbull may not have crushed those capsules all at the same time.""What do you mean?"

"He may have felt an attack coming on earlier in the evening and used a capsule, and in the police court used the same handkerchief in the same manner.""I see," Penfield nodded."The point is cleverly taken."Kent silently agreed with the coroner.The next instant Stone was excused, and after a slight pause the deputy coroner, Dr.Mayo, left his table and his notes and occupied the witness chair, after first being sworn.The preliminaries did not consume much time, and Penfield's manner was brisk as he addressed his assistant.

"Did you make a post-mortem examination of Turnbull?" he asked.

"I did, sir, in the presence of the morgue master and Dr.McLane."Dr.Mayo displayed an anatomical chart, drawing his pencil down it as he talked."We found from the condition of the heart that the deceased had suffered from angina pectoris" - he paused and spoke more slowly - "in examining the gastric contents we found the presence of aconitine.""Aconitine?" questioned Penfield, and the reporters, scenting the sensational, leaned forward eagerly so as not to miss the deputy coroner's answer.

"Aconitine, an active poison," he explained."It is the alkaloid of aconite, and generally fatal in its results."