of a business!
For mercy's sake, come up!'"

"Well?"

"Mr. Exel thereupon joined us at the door of this flat."

"Was it open?"

"Yes. Mr. Leroux had rushed up to me, leaving the door open behind him.
The light was out, both in the lobby and in the study, a fact upon which
I commented at the time. It was all the more curious as Mr. Leroux had
left both lights on!"...

"Did he say so?"

"He did. The circumstances surprised him to a marked degree. We came in
and I turned up the light in the lobby. Then Leroux, entering the
study, turned up the light there, too. I entered next, followed by Mr.
Exel--and we saw the body lying where you see it now."

"Who saw it first?"

"Mr. Leroux; he drew my attention to it, saying that he had left her
lying on the chesterfield and NOT upon the floor."

"You examined her?"

"I did. She was dead, but still warm. She exhibited signs of recent
illness, and of being addicted to some drug habit; probably morphine.
This, beyond doubt, contributed to her death, but the direct cause was
asphyxiation. She had been strangled!"

"My God!" groaned Leroux, dropping his face into his hands.

"You found marks on her throat?"

"The marks were very slight. No great pressure was required in her weak
condition."

"You did not move the body?"

"Certainly not; a more complete examination must be made, of course. But
I extracted a piece of torn paper from her clenched right hand."

Inspector Dunbar lowered his tufted brows.

"I'm not glad to know you did that," he said. "It should have been
left."

"It was done on the spur of the moment, but without altering the
position of the hand or arm. The paper lies upon the table, yonder."

Inspector Dunbar took a long drink. Thus far he had made no attempt
to examine the victim. Pulling out a bulging note-case from the inside
pocket of his blue serge coat, he unscrewed a fountain-pen, carefully
tested the nib upon his thumb nail, and made three or four brief
entries. Then, stretching out one long arm, he laid the wallet and
the pen beside his glass upon the top of a bookcase, without otherwise
changing his position, and glancing aside at Exel, said:--

"Now, Mr. Exel, what help can you give us?"

"I have little to add to Dr. Cumberly's account," answered Exel,
offhandedly. "The whole thing seemed to me"...

"What it seemed," interrupted Dunbar, "does not interest Scotland Yard,
Mr. Exel, and won't interest the jury."

Leroux glanced up fo