Show p THROUGH THE WALL By CLEVELAND MOFFETT Co Copyright 1909 by AUTHOR OF OP TIlE THE BA BATTLE TLE ETC D. D APPLETON AND COMPANY CHAPTER III II Private Room No 6 TI The e night was black and rain was falling falling falling fall fall- ing In torrents as Paul and the commissary rolled d away av In response to this startling starting summons of crime Up the Rue toz l Mozart rt they sped with sounding horn feeling their way carefully on account of Avenue troublesome Victor car l Hugo i tracks their then li advance faster t e uge euge up being the accompanied by vivid lightning flashes Ie re e was in luck lurk to have this storm mastered Then In reply to geots look ook I mean the thunder it d deadened ned the shot and gained time for hm How do you ou know a man did Jr ft K A woman was in the room and she's 11 i The They telephoned that i le shook his head Xo No no 11 11 find its it's a a. man Women are aro not noto o 0 alln In crime And this this is-this i Is this is dif dif- How low many murders can you vou re rein reu re- re ber in la Paris restaurants I mean means mean's s 's restaurants u t ri ot thought a moment There I one Sue at the Silver SlIver Phea Pheasant ant and one at att t L I and and and-and- and aone tt one at the Cafe Rouge But those thoe WM v shooting cases not murders og f tanned i rin d in advance do you think this was planned In Ini inH a i r H V n alis a se the man escaped x jey didn't didn't say so I t ruen tienT ei l smiled how I know v Jj M Hd d. d If they had caught him the they rw ive ve told d you wouldn't they w cr j d L course ourse they would Well think 1 fr It ft means to commit murder t in to a ad d restaurant and get et away It 1 k brains r Lucian Ah were we're nearly i had reached Napoleons Napoleon's arch and it 1 automobile swinging sharply to tho the thoI ther I IY r started at full speed down thes the tho thoas as s t 1 bid for fOI Gritz reflected the com com- f then both men fell silent in the thet t t of the tho emergency before them y Iritz it may be said aid was the enter- enter ti o of ot the Ansonia this be be- beJ J last Jast and most brilliant of his cre- cre M II for tOl cheering the rich and hungry w iter let er He owned the famous Palace t f es aurant at Monte Carlo the Queens Queen's In 5 London and the Cafe Royal In its ts Of all his ventures however F jI opened d Ansonia hotel and grant was by far the most ambil ambi- ambi l i The rhe building occupied a full block Champs just above the 1 ISid Point so 50 that it was in the center o f enable Paris It was the exact d J o f a a well weB known Venetian palace a a. tits exquisite white marble colonnade w. w lt jt a real adornment to the gay capt- capt Vi Furthermore M M. Gritz spent a af aon f urie on furnishings and decorations the mural paintings the 9 the chairs everything in short beto beto be- be ii P to the best millionaire standard ll ad the tile most high priced chef in the i with six chefs chela under him two of bin made a specialty of American g He had his own farm for b 1 nd d butter his own vineyards his ds permanent orchestra and his own j d' d V of Turkish coffee made before yoU e e s ib iba by b a salaaming Armenian in native 11 yme roe For Kor all of which reasons the nt Somber happening had particular importance A A murder anywhere was bad b but a murder in the newest the g da dat eur sih est chic t and t the costliest restaurant e a t in ins ins' Paris s' s must cause more than a nine days dais wonder Ider As M M. Peugeot remarked it was certainly bad had for Gritz Drawing up before the imposing cn- cn trance they saw two policemen on guard guarda a a aft the the- doors one of whom recognizing Uie commissary came forward quickly to fb tHa with word word that that M M. Gibelin W ro 3 other men from headquarters hag i haia haga a already l y arrived and were proceeding with ilia investigation Is Papa here asked yes Yes sir replied the tho man saluting f respectfully IY Before r I go in Lucien you'd better speak to Ie Gibelin whispered M. M Paul Its a little delicate Hes He's a good detective detective detective detec detec- tive but he likes the old school methods find and he he and I never got on very well He has been sent to tal take e of the case so so-be so be tactful with him He lie cant can't object answered After Aftel all Im I'm the commissary of this quarter and if I need your our services services- I I know now but Id I'd sooner you jou spoke to him Good Ill I'll be back in a a. moment and pushing his way through the crowd of sensation seekers that blocked the sidewalk sidewalk side side- W walk l ho he disappeared Inside s t the tho building M M. u s moment e was s prolonged 0 to five full minutes and when he reappeared his face was black Such stupidity he stormed Its what I expected answered I Gibelin says you have no business here Hes He's an Impudent devil Tell Te Beau Cocono he sneered to l keep cep his hands off this case Orders from headquarters head head- quarters I told him you had business here business for me and come and come on Ill I'll show em He lie took by bv the arm but the latter drew drow back Not yet I have a better idea Go ahead with your report Never Ne mind me But I want you jou OU on the case insisted the commissary Ill be on the tho case all right t. t Ill telephone headquarters at once I about this Insisted When shall I see you again eyed eved his friend mysteriously I think you'll see me before the night ht is over Now get to work and he smiled mo mockingly give M M. Gibelin the assurance of my distinguished consideration nodded crustily and went ent back baek Into the restaurant while with perfect equanimity paid the automobile man and dismissed him Meantime l In the large larg-e dining dining- rooms on the street floor everything was going on onas onas onas as usual the orchestra was playing In its best manner and few of the brilliant company compan company com com- pany pan suspected that anything vias was wrong Those who started to go out were met bvM by bv M M. Gritz himself and with a brief brier hint of trouble upstairs were assured that they would be allowed to leave shortly after some necessary formalities This delay dela most of them took toole good and went back to their tables As M. M mounted to the first floor he was met at the head of the stairs by hy a little yellow bearded man with luminous dark darle eyes who came toward him hand extended Ah Alt Dr Joubert loubert said the tho commis- commis sarv sary The doctor nodded nervously ner Its a singular case he whispered a very singular case At the same moment a a. door opened and Gibelin appeared appealed He lIe was rather fat with small piercing eyes and a i reddish reddish red red- ed dish mustache His voice w was s harsh his manners brusque but there was no denyIng deny deny- ing log his intelligence In a a. spirit of conciliation conciliation conciliation con con- he began to give M. M some details of the case case whereupon the latter said stiffly Excuse me sir I need no assistance from you in making this investigation Come doctor In the field of his jurisdiction a commissary of ot police Is supreme taking precedence even over headquarters men So Gibelin could only withdraw muttering his resentment while Peugeot proceeded with his duties In general plan tho the Ansonia was in the form fort of a large E the main part of the second floor where the the tragedy took place being occupied by public dining rooms but the two wings in accordance with Parisian custom containing a number number number num num- ber of private rooms where delicious meals might be had with discreet attendance attendance attendance attend attend- ance by those who wished to dine alone In each of the wings were seven of these private rooms all opening on a dark red passage way lighted by bv soft electric lamps It was in one of the west wing private rooms that the tho crime had been committed and as the commissary reached the wing the waiters waiters' awestruck looks showed him plainly enough which was the room room there there on the right the second from the end end where the patient I policeman was standing guard M Mr IV Peugeot paused at the turn of the corridor to ask some question but he ha was wag Interrupted by a burst of singing on the left a roaring chorus of hilarity Its a banquet party explained the doctor a lot of Americans They dont don't Know ow what has happened Hah reflected the other Just across the corridor too Then briefly the tho commissary heard what the witnesses had to tell him about too tue crime It had been discovered discovered dis dis- dis- dis covered half an hour before more precisely at ten minutes to 9 by a waiter walter Joseph who was serving a couple In No 6 a dark complexioned man and a handsome handsome woman They had ar arrived arrived ar- ar rived at a quarter before 8 and the meal had begun at once Oddly enough after the soup the gentleman g told the waiter walter not to bring the next course until he rang at the same time slipping Flipping into his hand a franc 10 piece Whereupon Joseph Joseph Joseph Jos Jos- eph had nodded his understanding understanding-he ho had seen teen Impatient lovers before although al although although al- al though they usually restrained their ar ardor ardor ardor ar- ar dor until after the fish still certainly this was wa a Woman to make a man lose his head and the night was to be a jolly one one how how those young American devils were singing so Hurrah for love and Hurrah for youth With which simple simple simple sim sim- philosophy and a twinkle of satisfaction satisfaction satisfaction tion Joseph had tucked away his gold piece piece and and waited Ten minutes minutes' Fifteen minutes minutes' An und un- un long O g time a when you have a d delicious n solo sole a 1 la i getting cold coldon coldon l lon on your hands Joseph knocked discreetly discreet discreet- ly then again after a d decent cent pause and finally weary of waiting he opened thedoor thedoor the tho door with an official cough of warning and stepped Inside the room A moment later he started back his eyes fixed with horror Good Lord he ho cried You saw the body the mans man's body questioned the commissary san san- Yes sir answered the waiter walter his face faco still pale at the memory And the tho woman Where was tho the woman Ah I forgot stammered Joseph She had come out of the room before this while I was waiting She asked where the tho telephone was and amI I told her herit herit herit it was on the floor below Then she went downstairs downstairs-at at least I suppose she did for she never came back Did an anyone one see Tier ter leave tho the hotel demanded sharply looking at the others Its It's e extraordinary answered the doctor doctor doctor doc doc- tor but no one ono seems to have haVo seen this woman go out M M. Gibelin made mado InquIries inquiries inquiries inqui InquI- ries but he could learn nothing except that she sho really went to the telephone booth The girl there remembers her Again Peugeot turned to the waiter What sort of a woman was she Alady A Alady lady ady or or-or or or not Joseph clucked his tongue admiringly She v s a-s a lady all right And a stunner stunner stunner stun stun- ner ner Eyes and shoulders and shoulders and and um um-m um He lie described imaginary feminine curves with the tho unction of a male dressmaker Oh theres there's one thing more You can tell me later Now doctor well we'll look ook at the room Ill I'll need you Lero Leroy and you jou and you He lie motioned to his secretary and to two of his men Dr Joubert bowing gravely opened the thedoor thedoor thedoor door of No 6 and the commissary entered entered entered en en- followed by his scribe a very bald and pale young man and by two police police- men Last came the doctor closing the thedoor thedoor thedoor door carefully behind him It was the commissary's custom on arrIving ar arriving ar- ar riving at the scene of a a. crime to record his first impressions Immediately taking careful note of every fact and detail In the picture that seemed to have the slightest bearing on the case These he would dictate rapidly to his secretary walking back and forth foith searching everywhere with keen eyes and trained Intelligence especially for signs of violence a broken window an overturned table a weapon and noting all suspicious stains stains mud mud stains blood stains the print of a foot the smear of a hand and of course describing describing describing de de- scribing carefully the they appearance of ot a victims victim's body the wounds the position the expression of the face any tearing or disorder of the garments Many times these quick haphazard jottings made Inthe in inthe inthe the precious moments immediately following following following fol fol- fol- fol lowing a crime had proved of incalculable Incalculable i lable value in the subsequent investigation tion In the present case however M M. Pen Pou- was fairly taken aback by the lack of significant material Everything in the room was as it should be table spread with snowy linen two places set faultlessly faultlessly faultlessly fault fault- lessly among flowers and flashing glasses I chairs in their places pictures smiling down from the hc white white and gold walls shaded electrIc lights diffusing a pleasant pleasant pleas- pleas ant n glow In short hort no disorder no sign of struggle yet there stretched at full length on the floor near near a a. pale yellow sofa la lay a man in evening dress his hit head resting face downward in a little red pool He was evidently dead Has anything been disturbed hero Has anyone anone touched this body demand deman demanded ed sharply No N said the doctor doctor Gibelin came In W. W with me but neither of us touched anything We Ve waited for you o L I see sec ef Ready neady Leroy and he proceeded proceeded proceeded pro pro- to dictate what there was to say dwelling on two facts that there was no ito sign E of a weapon In the room and that the long double window opening on the tho Rue l was standing open Now doctor he concluded we wo will look at tho the body Dr Joubert's examination established at once the direct cause of death The Them Theman m man tn a well built young fellow of perhaps 28 8 had been shot In the right eye a a. ball having penetrated the brain Killing him instantly The Tho face showed marks marl s of ot flame name and powder proving that the tho weapon wea wea- pon undoubtedly pon-undoubtedly undoubtedly a pistol pIstol had had been discharged discharged discharged dis dis- dis- dis charged from a very short distance This certainly looked like suicide although although al- al though the absence of the tho pistol pointed to murder The mans man's face was perfectly perfectly per per- calm with no suggestion of fright or anger his hands and body lay In a natural position and his clothes were In Inno Inno inno no way disordered Either he ho had met death willingly or It had come como to him without warning like a lightning stroke Doctor asked the commissary glancing glancing glancing glanc glanc- ing at the open window If this man shot himself could he he in your opinion with his last strength have thrown the pistol out there Certainly not answered Joubert A Aman Aman Aman man who received a wound like this would be dead before he could lift a hand before he could wink Ah Besides a search has been made underneath underneath underneath un un- un- un that window and no pistol has been found It It must be murder muttered Pou Pou- Was Vas there any quarreling with the woman Joseph says not On the contrary they seemed on the friendliest terms terms Hah llah See ee what he ho has on his person Note everything down Wo We must find out who this poor pool fellow was These instructions were carefully carrIed carried carried car car- ried out and It straightway became clear cleal that robbery at any rate had no part In ht Inthe the tho crime In the dead mans man's pockets was found a |