"
Sanderson considered for a long minute, pulling at his full lower lip.
"Well, thank God for those precious footprints Strawn is building on!
Don't think I fail to follow your reasoning that the crime _must_ have
been committed in the bedroom, and not from the window sill, but those
footprints may save us yet, and will certainly get us through the
inquest. You agree, of course, that none of all this you've told me must
even be hinted at during the inquest?... Good! Let's be going. It's
nearly ten."
Dundee's whole soul revolted at the very thought of the barbaric farce
of an inquest--the small morgue chapel crowded to the doors with
goggle-eyed, blood-loving humanity; the stretcher with its sheeted
corpse; reporters avid of sensation and primed with questions which, if
answered by indiscreet witnesses, would defeat the efforts of police and
district attorney; news photographers with their insatiable cameras
aimed at every person connected with the case in any way.
Mercifully, this particular inquest upon the body of Juanita Leigh Selim
promised to be quickly over. For Coroner Price, in conference with
Sanderson, Dundee and Captain Strawn, had gladly agreed to call only
those witnesses and extract from them only such information as the
authorities deemed advisable.
Pages:
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205
206
207
208
209
210
211
212
213
214