"I've been all over--every room--every floor. She isn't in the house.
There's nobody upstairs at all."

"No housekeeper or maid?" demanded Mason. "Then they've got away!
Here, waiter, tell me all you know of this thing."

The Italian Luigi came forward, shaking with terror, and wringing his
fingers nervously.

"I d--don't know anything about it," he began, but Mason interrupted,
"You do! You know all about it! Did you kill this man?"

"No! Dio mio! No! a thousand no's!"

"Then, unless you wish to be suspected of it, tell all you know."

A commotion at the door heralded the coroner's arrival, also a
detective and a couple of plain clothes men. Clearly, here was a
mysterious case.

The coroner at once took matters in his own hands. Inspector Mason
told him all that had been learned so far, and though Coroner Fenn
seemed to think matters had been pretty well bungled, he made no
comment and proceeded with the inquiries.

"Sure there's nobody upstairs?" he asked Breen.

"Positive. I looked in every nook and cranny. I've raked the whole
house, but the basement and kitchen part."