Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1910-04-02
CHAPTER VII.
rHRoUoH THE WALL

OF the tragedy and turned I'D
the lights. all OF them, so that
- be might see whatever was TO
be seen. He walked back and forth
examining the carpet, examining the
walls. examining the furniture. but
paying little heed to the body. He
went 20 the open window and looked
out; be went 20 the yellow sofa and
sat down; finally he shut or the lights
and withdrew softly, closing the door
behind him. II was just as the com
missary had said with the exception
or one thing.
Papa TigDol entered 20 say that he
had finished the footprint molds. NJ.
Paul motioned mis- associate 70 a chair.
by the way" he asked. what do
you think OF thatT' He pointed 10 n
japanese print in a black frame that
hung near the massive sldeboard.
why" stammered TiCnol. II don't
think anything Of IT,"
Coquenn laughed. "Au the same. II
has a bearing on your Investigations"
~Diabler'
NJ. Paul reached FOR his glasses. rub
bed them deliberately and put them
on. Papa Tignol" he said seriously.
Il have come 10 n conclusion about this
crime, but I haven't verified il. lam
now going TO give myself an intenec-
tual treat"
"Wha-atf"
Il am going 20 prove practically
whether my mind has grown rusty In
the last two years. You understand
that we are In private room No. Z.
don't you? on the other side OF that
wall is private room No. g. where a
man has just been shot We know
that, don't we? But the man who shot
him was In this room; the little hair
brushing old maid saw the pistol
thrown from this window; the dog
found footprints coming from this
room; the murderer went out through
that door into the alleyway and then
into the street. He couldn't have gone
into the corridor because the door was
locked on the outside"
He might have gone into the corri-
dor and locked the door after him"
objected Tignol.
Coquenil shook his head. He could
have locked the door after him on the
outside. not on the inside. but when
we came in here il was locked on the
inside"
Then how, in heavens name
Exactly! How could a man In this
room kin a man in the next roomf
And / believe have solved II. Listen
Between these rooms is a solid wood
en- partition with no door in it-no
passageway OF any kind. Yet the man
N there is dead; we're sure OF that.
The pistol was here; the bullet went
fhere-somehOw. How did IL go there?
Think"
The detective paused and looked fix
edly at the wall near the heavy side
board. Tignol, half fascinated. stared
at the same spot. and then. as a new
idea took form in his brain. he blurt-
ed out, 'YOu mean II went through
the WALTZ"
rs there any other wayT
but there Is no hole-thrOugh the
wall" he muttered. 1t might be back
OF that sideboard."
But NJ. Paul disagreed. "No man
As clever as this fellow would have
moved a heavy piece covered with
plates and glasses. Besides. il the
sidebOard had been moved there
would be marks on the floor, and there
are none. Now you understand why
I'm interested in that Japanese print"
TtgnOl sprang to his feet.
You're hooking me; you've looked
behind the picture"
Coquenil shook his head solemnlv.
"On my honor, ! have not been near
the picture know nothing about the
picture, but unless there is some flaw
1n my reasoning
The old man stepped forward quick
iy and took down the picture.
'"Tonnere de Dieu!' he cried. Its
true! There are two holes"
Sure enough. against the white wall
stood ont not one but two black holes
about an inch in diameter and some
thing less than three inches apart
Around the left hole. which was close
90 the sideboard, were black dots
sprinkled over the painted woodwork
Ike grains OF pepper.
Powder marksr' muttered Cooue-
NIL, examining the hole. "He fred at
close range as Martinez looked into
This room from the other side. Poor
CHAP! That's how he was shot In the
eye"
Asses! idiots! That's what we
are" muttered the old man. For half