mulligan stared at the dead woman, but beyond touching her to see if life remained, he did not attempt to alter the position of the corpse. for corpse it was. the woman was as dead as a stone, and mulligan knew his duty too well to take any authority upon himself the inspector was the man to issue orders, and the inspector would be at the head of achilles avenue when the clock struck twelve. as this thought passed slowly through the policeman's mind--for the unexpectedness of the tragedy had somewhat dazed him--he heard the midnight chimes. with a sudden start he recovered his wits and wheeled round. in a few minutes he was out of the house, and had closed the door. only when in the roadway did his brain begin to work at its normal speed.

"it's that young gentleman," thought mulligan. "he said i'd come across a crime sooner than i expected. and the key is his. mary, be good to us; but he must have killed the poor creature before he joined me. augh!" he stopped and considered. "but if that's so, what about the singing. she was at the piano, and the song wasn't done when the gentleman joined me. augh!"

at this moment of his reflection, and while he was looking anxiously down the road for the inspector, a man came walking rapidly along, and suddenly emerged from a side-street that ran at right angles to achilles avenue. he almost dashed into the arms of mulligan, who brought up short under a lamp. "where are ye going?" asked the policeman, rendered suspicious by his recent discovery and by the manifest haste of the man.

"going, confound you!" snapped the man, who seemed to be in a very bad temper. "i'm looking for my motor-car."

"for your what?"

"motor-car! automobile! can't you understand english? i've lost it. some one's bolted with the whole kit. have you seen my car? it's painted yellow picked out with black, and------"

"here's the inspector," chipped in mulligan, recognising with relief the rigid form of his superior. "you can tell him, and if you're the man, anything you may say will be used in evidence against you. that's the law. augh!"

the man stared at this speech, but mulligan wiped his heated brow and glared at him in a resentful manner, not at all sure but what this might be the criminal. there was no ground for such a supposition, especially as the key belonged to another man. but mulligan was not in a position to weigh his words, and therefore said the first thing that came into his mind. so the man stared, mulligan scowled, and the inspector drew near.

"you've been drinking, bobby," said the man at length. "my name is luther tracey. i manufacture motor-cars, and some beast has bolted with one of the best i've ever turned out. such a flier. i guess you police hereabouts ain't worth a cent."

"you're american," said mulligan.

"and you're several kinds of ass, i reckon. see here, about this car of mine."

mr. tracey would have gone on to explain at length, but that he was interrupted by the arrival of the inspector, who was tall and thin, military and sharp. he glanced keenly at tracey, and inquiringly at mulligan. the engineer would have begun talking at once, as he appeared to have a considerable fund of what his countrymen call "chin-music"; but mulligan waved him aside, and reported hurriedly to inspector derrick what he had discovered. although derrick was manifestly surprised and excited by the strange recital, he made no remark; but when in possession of mulligan's facts--which ranged from his meeting with the young gentleman to his leaving the dead body in the house--he turned to tracey. that man was listening eagerly, and seemed quite interested.

"well, i surmise that's a queer case," said he, smacking his leg. "what do you make of it, inspector? if you want to know my opinion, the man as laid out that lady corpse has bolted with my motor-car."

"no," said mulligan; "he walked with me for a---- when did you miss your car, sir?"

"you might call it a few minutes after eleven."

"he was with me then," said the policeman; "'twasn't him. no!"

derrick, who had preserved silence, chimed in "who are you, sir?"

"my name's tracey," replied the american smartly; "here's my card. i manufacture motor-cars, and came to see some friends of mine this night in one of my latest. i left her humming at the gate, and at ten minutes after eleven i went out to start her for the factory. nary a sign of the car, sir, and i've been chasing round these lanes for the last hour. this lunatic"--he pointed to mulligan--"seems to think i have to do with the murder. don't you think you'd better run me in? it 'ull be an advertisement and a smart action for false imprisonment."

derrick smiled under his heavy moustache, and took a long look at mr. tracey. the american was fair and handsome, active in his movements and compact in his frame. he wore fashionable evening-dress, and looked a shrewd, pleasant man of the world, who had travelled much and had his wits about him. the mention he made of arrest showed derrick that the man was innocent. not even a yankee's passion for advertising his goods would hurry a man into the grip of the law if he were in any way guilty. the inspector, however, did not think it wise to lose sight of tracey, and being diplomatic he behaved towards him in quite an affable way. "you might come with me and see into this matter," he said, moving on.

"rather," rejoined tracey with alacrity. "i'm dead gone on adventures, and this is a ripper. wonder if i can get an advertisement out of it? what do you think, sir?"

"well, if your car is missing------"

"'course. the man's raced off with it."

"no," denied mulligan again; "he was with me at the time your car was lost."

"do you think the man you talked to, killed this woman?" asked the inspector, turning sharply on mulligan.

"i do and i don't, sir."

"what do you mean by that?"

mulligan scratched his head. "he had the key, and he came out of the house sure enough. but she was singing when he talked to me at the gate. she wasn't dead then."

"then he must be innocent," said derrick sharply. "do you know to whom the villa belongs?"

"no, sir. here it is, and you can see that the light's still burning as i left it. i haven't touched the body, sir."

"you did right," approved derrick, swinging open the gate. "wait, we must look at the name. your lantern, mulligan."

the light illuminated the black letters on the gate, but before the inspector could pronounce the name, tracey did it for him. "ajax villa--ajax villa," said he, stopping; "sakes, it's fane's house. don't tell me it's mrs. fane--such a fine woman. but it can't be."

"why not?" said derrick, looking at him suspiciously.

"because the whole family are at the seaside--all except miss mason."

"where is she, and who is she?"

"miss mason is the sister of mrs. fane, and she's stopping with the friends i was seeing when my car was stolen."

this was a strange discovery, and derrick looked puzzled. tracey spoke in all good faith, and seemed quite willing to enter the house. all the same it was queer he should know so much about the matter. as the constable opened the door derrick asked a question. "you heard mulligan describe the man who came out of this house," he said; "can you tell me who he is?"

"no," confessed tracey. "i know very little of mr. fane and his family. i've never been in this house. but miss mason is the bosom friend of the girl i'm going to engineer into the position of mrs. tracey. she's gerty baldwin at present, and lives at no. 20 meadow lane along with her mother and the kids. now, is there anything else you want, to know, mr. inspector?"

"not at present. but later on." derrick nodded and walked into the house, followed by the two men.

"oh, anything you like," called out tracey, not at all damped by the fact of death being in the house, "anything for an advertisement. i guess i'll sell that car at a big figure. tussaud's will buy it if the murderer's skipped in it."

"he hasn't," said mulligan, still confused.

"he has," insisted the american. "why should an honest man yank off my car? some one wanted to get out of the way in a hurry, and he took my flier. i guess he's out of london by this time. she can skim a bit. oh, i reckon she's no slouch."

"hush," said derrick sharply, and removed his cap. tracey did the same, for the presence of death--the immediate presence--began to sober him. mulligan stood rigidly at the door while derrick examined the body. "is it mrs. fane?" he asked.

"no," said tracey, staring at a girlish face, still and white and waxen. "mrs. fane would make two of this poor thing. she's a junoesque sort of woman, about the size of the venus of milo, and the same shape, too. this is a slip of a girl."

"a married woman," said derrick, pointing to a ring on the hand. he walked slowly round the room. "mulligan," said he, "go and see if any one else is in the house------"

"i tell you fane and family are at the seaside," said tracey.

"never mind. there may be a caretaker. look round, mulligan, and see if any windows or doors are unlocked or open. mr. tracey, please sit still and silent. i wish to make an examination."

mulligan departed promptly, and the american sat comfortably in a deep armchair watching the inspector. that gentleman prowled round like a sleuth-hound. he examined the window, then scrambled along the floor, shook various curtains, shifted several cushions, and finally knelt beside the body after a glance at the piano. he interrupted his examination to point out the music. "according to mulligan, she was singing 'kathleen mavourneen,'" said he. "there's the song. poor soul. she was evidently struck down when singing."

"then the man met by mulligan is innocent, since he was outside while the song was still being sung."

"he might be an accessory before the fact, mr. tracey."

"in other words, an accomplice. but he didn't nick my car. no, sir. the real murderer did that, and i guess that car's worth money at the boss waxwork show of this metropolis. they can fire it into the chamber of horrors along with napoleon's cart and the baby's pram. what figure would you ask now, inspector?"

"you go too fast, mr. tracey. we don't know yet that the criminal has stolen your car. is the house you were visiting far from here?"

"oh, i guess not. mrs. baldwin hangs out no. 20------"

"yes," interrupted derrick, "you told me. that's no distance. meadow lane--to be sure--part of old troy."

"no," contradicted tracey. "the village is called cloverhead."

"and round the village troy has been built, so the lesser name is merged in the larger."

"sounds legal, and not quite right, mr. inspector. say, your name's------"

"derrick. inspector derrick. i am in charge of the troy police, and this is the first crime of any sort i have stumbled across here."

"slow lot," commented the american. "in our country we'd have filled the boneyard in six months."

"we don't murder on that gigantic scale here, mr. tracey," derrick answered, somewhat dryly. then he looked steadily and keenly at the man. "i'm going to trust you," he declared.

tracey whistled, and stared doubtfully at the body. "shouldn't if i were you, sir. here's a crime, and i know a lot------"

"oh, you do! what do you know?"

"what i've told you. i might be an accomplice too, you see, along with the other man."

"the murderer?"

"no. the rooster who skipped with my car. he didn't stick that poor girl there. not he. guess he kept your copper employed in jaw while the real murderer polished off the female. that's how i size up things. well, sir, and what do you want me to do?"

"fetch a doctor."

"don't know any hereabouts my knowledge of this township is limited to meadow lane, and miss baldwin's favourite walk across the fields. 'sides"--he cast a quizzical look at the officer--"i might not come back."

"oh yes, you will. i shouldn't let you go if i wasn't sure you'd return, if only for the sake of your car and the advertisement."

tracey laughed. "well, where's the medicine man?"

derrick scribbled a few lines on his card, and passed it along. "go there, and ask dr. geason to come here--the sooner the better."

"right, sir!" tracey rose and looked wistfully down at the dead. "i guess the man who did that would be lynched in our country."

"he'll be hanged in this when found," retorted derrick. "go, please."

when the american was out of the room the inspector resumed his examination. mulligan returned when he was in the middle of a brown study. "there's nothing to be seen, sir," he reported. "no one in the house. doors and windows all bolted and barred. not a sign."

"strange," mused derrick. "you are sure that the man who came out of the house was speaking with you while the singing was going on?"

"i'll take my oath on it, sir. he can't be guilty."

"did he strike you as being confused?"

"not very, sir. he didn't want his face to be seen, though, and kept his hat down on his eyes. he said the lady who was singing was his sister, and that he often came to see her."

"h'm! why should he come to a house which is shut up?"

"he had the latch-key."

"hand it over to me," said derrick, and when in possession of it, took a long look at the size and shape. "new," said he, rapping it on his knuckles. "hasn't been used much."

"might be polished from too much use, sir," ventured mulligan.

"the edges wouldn't be so rough if it wasn't new." derrick pointed this fact out. "you don't know the man's name?"

"no, sir."

"nor where he lives?"

"no, sir; i had no reason to ask him anything."

"well, i suppose you couldn't foresee that we should want him. i don't expect he'll turn up in this neighbourhood again."

"what's your theory, sir?"

"it's early to form one, mulligan. i fancy two men killed this woman. the one you saw kept you in conversation, while the other murdered the woman, and then cleared, while his accomplice led you away. did you hear a scream?"

"no, sir. the song ended as we left the gate, and in a few minutes we were too far away to hear any cry."

"as i thought. the man was an accomplice sent out to lure you away."

"it might be, sir," confessed mulligan. "i was leaning over the gate when the young gentleman came out."

"the men saw you from the window, and as they couldn't kill the woman while you were there, number one went out to draw you away, while number two remained behind to commit the crime. at what hour did you part with number one?"

"half-past eleven, sir. i was with him thirty minutes."

"time enough for number two to murder the woman and make off. he escaped by the front door, since you say the back premises are locked up. ah! there's the doctor. go to the station and send on----" here derrick named two of his most trusted subordinates.

when mulligan left, the inspector resumed his examination. already he had looked over the clothing of the deceased. she was plainly but tastefully dressed in black, but wore no ornaments. everything was of good quality, but made without trimmings. the under-linen was equally fine, but on it the inspector could find no mark or initials likely to indicate the name. apparently she had been seated at the piano when stabbed, and had fallen dead on the bearskin almost without a cry. the assassin had assured himself that she was dead, then had turned her face downward, so as to avoid the horrified stare of those wide-open eyes. at least this was the inspector's view.

"a pretty woman," said derrick musingly. "fair, slender, blue eyes, delicate hands. i should think she was a lady. married"--he touched the ring--"but not rich, since she wears no ornaments. careful in her dress, but, not mean, and not fashionable either. hullo!"

this exclamation was drawn from him by the sight of a hat and cloak thrown over a chair on the further side of the piano. these were also fine, but neat and unpretentious. the woman must have come to the house on a visit, since she certainly would not have placed her out-of-door things in such a place and have sat down had she a bedroom in the house. but what was she doing in a mansion, the owner of which was at the seaside? had the first man let her in with his latch-key, and if so, how did he come to be in possession of the latch-key? these were questions which the inspector was trying to answer when the doctor arrived.

geason was an ambitious young medical man who had set up in troy a year previously, and was trying hard to scrape a practice together. he was well aware that such a case as this would give him a much-desired publicity, and consequently expressed himself profoundly grateful to derrick for the job. then he knelt beside the body and made an examination, while tracey, who had returned, questioned the inspector. "found out anything?" he asked.

"only that the woman was a visitor to this house," and derrick pointed out the cloak and hat.

"strange," said the american. "wonder what she meant making free with a man's house in his absence?"

"are you sure mr. fane's at the seaside?"

"certain. miss baldwin was told by miss mason--and she's mrs. fane's sister--that they would stay a month. westcliff-on-sea is the place. miss mason got a letter yesterday. fane was there then."

"it is an easy run from westcliff-on-sea to this place," responded derrick dryly. "a man can fetch this house from there in a couple of hours. but i don't suspect mr. fane."

"he might be the man with the latch-key."

"no." derrick thought of the key being new. "i don't think so. did any young man stay in this house?"

"not that i know of. you'd better ask miss mason. i know nothing about this ranche. well, doctor?"

"she's been dead nearly five hours," said geason, rising.

"nonsense," said derrick. "she was alive at eleven, and it's not one o'clock yet."

"i don't know about that," persisted geason, "but from the condition of the body and the lack of warmth, i say she has been dead five hours."

derrick and tracey looked at one another perplexed. if the doctor was right--and he seemed positive--this unknown person could not have been the woman who sang "kathleen mavourneen."

"there's four of them," said tracey; "two women and two men."

derrick shook his head. the case was too mysterious for him to venture an opinion.