"Sure," answered the other readily. "Only don't pull things around
any. That young fellow that they've elected coroner is awful touchy
about such things. He wants to be first always."

"Nothing of importance shall be disturbed," promised Ashton-Kirk. Then
motioning Pendleton to follow, he ascended the flight that led to the
second floor.

It was narrow and dusty, as Miss Vale had said. The walls were
smutted, the hand rail felt greasy, the air was stale. A passage, dim
and windowless, ran the depth of the building; from the front there
came a patch of daylight through a ground glass door. Upon this latter
could be easily read the words:

DAVID P. HUME
NUMISMATIST
PHILATELIST
ART CURIOSITIES

A policeman stood at the head of the stairs smoking a cigar in an
informal way.

"All right," said he, "if Osborne let you come up I've got nothing to
say. He's the boss."

"Have you looked over the place?"

"Just a glance. The floor has been fitted up as an apartment. Hume
occupied all the rooms. The body," pointing to the front room, "is in
there."