snap, and made me realize I had
no business talking about love at such a time. Yet never in my life
did I feel more like telling Mary how much I wanted her.

We had no sooner entered the cool hall of St. Mary's than the little
interne with glasses, whom I had seen the night before, came hurrying
up to me.

"Mr. Thompson, we have been telephoning every place for you."

My heart jumped to my throat. "Is Mrs. Felderson---?"

"No," he responded, "Mrs. Felderson is still unconscious. It is Mr.
Felderson. The coroner has made an important discovery."

I waved for Mary to stay where she was and hurried down-stairs, where
Jim's body lay. It had not been moved before the coroner's inquest.
The room was dark and several people were gathered around the inquest
table. All eyes were turned on me as I entered the room. A portly man
detached himself from the group and came toward me.

"Mr. Thompson?"

"Yes."

"I am the coroner. In making my inquest, I find that death was not due
to the automobile smash-up. Mr. Felderson was shot through the head,
from behind. We have rendered a verdict of murder."

CHAPTER SEVEN

I TURN DETECTIVE

Murdered! For a moment I was stupefied by the doctor's revelation, and
then, as he went on to describe the course of the bullet, and certain
technical aspects of the case, a sudden rush of thankfulness came over
me. Let me explain! The coroner had given a verdict of murder by
person or persons unknown. From the first moment I heard of the
accident I was certain there was something sinister about it, but had
little on which to base my belief. The coroner's verdict substantiated
my suspicions and gave me a chance to work in the open; to bring into
court, if possible, the people I suspected.

Murder by person or persons unknown? I knew the persons: Zalnitch,
Metzger, Schreiber. They must have recognized the car as it came
toward them and taken a shot as they went by. My thoughts were
recalled from their wanderings by an unexpected sentence of the
coroner's. I had been following him vaguely, but now my attention was
riveted.

"One could not be sure, because of the varied course that bullets take
through the body, but the shot seems to have been fired from above and
behind. Unless it were otherwise proved, I'd strongly suspect that the
murderer had fired the shot from the back seat of the car."

"Of course that is impossible," I said, "because in that case the
murderer