Эллери Куин - Dutch Shoe Mystery

They seated themselves, a trifle stiffly. “Did anything strike you as unusual, or out-of-the-way, during the time this — well, let’s call him ‘impostor’ temporarily — this impostor was in the room?”

“At the time, no. Of course, now I can see that his not talking, and the disinfectant business, and all that — I can see now that it was funny.”

“What happened after our precious impostor left?”

“Why, nothing. I took it that the doctor had just examined the patient to see that nothing had gone wrong. So I just sat down on the chair and waited. Nobody else came in and nothing really happened until the operating-room staff came in from the theater to wheel the patient away. And then I followed them into the theater.”

“Didn’t you look at Mrs. Doorn during all this time?”

“I didn’t go over to feel her pulse or examine her closely, if that’s what you mean, Mr. Queen.” She sighed. “Of course I glanced at her now and then, but I knew she was in a coma — her face was very pale — but then, too, the doctor had examined her — well, you see...”

“I see. I quite see,” said Ellery gravely.

“Anyway, my orders had been not to disturb the patient unless something unexpected happened, or seemed to be wrong...”

“Yes, of course! One thing more, Miss Price. Did you notice on which foot the impostor placed his weight? You remember you said he limped?”

Her body drooped wearily in the chair. “It was his left foot that seemed to be the weak one. He put all his weight on the right — just like Dr. Janney. But then—”

“Yes,” said Ellery, “but then any one who wanted to do a thorough job of impersonation would be careful about that... That’s all, Miss Price. You’ve been very helpful. You may go into the theater now.”

She said, “Thank you,” in a low voice, looked earnestly at Dr. Janney, smiled to Dr. Minchen, and departed through the door to the Amphitheater.

There was a little silence after Minchen softly shut the door. The Medical Director coughed, hesitated, then sank into the chair the nurse had left. Ellery put his foot on another chair, leaning his elbow on his knee and playing with his glasses. Janney fidgeted, took out a cigarette, crushed it between his hard white fingers... Suddenly he leaped to his feet.

“Now, look here, Queen,” he shouted, “this thing’s gone far enough, don’t you think? You know damn well I wasn’t there. Why, it could have been any murdering scoundrel familiar with me and the Hospital! Everybody knows I limp. Everybody knows I’m wearing surgical clothes three-quarters of the time I’m here. It’s as plain as a pregnancy! God!” He shook his head like a shaggy dog.

“Yes, it looks remarkably like an imposition on your good nature, Doctor,” said Ellery mildly, peering at Janney. “But you can’t get away from it — the man’s clever.”

“I’ll give him credit for that, all right,” grumbled the surgeon. “Fooled Miss Price — she’s been with me for years now. Probably fooled a couple of others in the Anæsthesia Room... Well, Queen, what are you going to do with me?” Minchen stirred uncomfortably.

Ellery’s eyebrows shot up. “Do?” He chuckled. “My métier, Doctor, is dialectic. I’m an avatar of Socrates. I ask questions... So I’m going to ask you — and I know you’ll be truthful — where were you, Doctor, and what were you doing during the time this droll bit of play-acting was taking place?”

Janney straightened, sniffed. “Why, you know where I was. You heard Cobb’s piece. You saw me go off with the man to see my visitor. Good God, man, that’s infantile.”

“I’m singularly ingenuous this morning, Doctor... How long did you speak with your visitor? And where? These are some of the things, Doctor...”

Janney grunted. “Luckily, I looked at my watch just as I was leaving you. If you recall, it was 10:29. And my watch is accurate — has to be... Went back with Cobb, met my caller in the Waiting Room, and took him to my office, which is just across the corridor next to the main lift. That’s all, I think.”

“Hardly, Doctor... How long were you in your office with your visitor?”

“Until 10:40. Zero hour was approaching, and I had to cut the interview short. Still had to get ready — get into fresh surgical clothes — be disinfected... So my visitor left and I went directly to the Amphitheater.”

“Entering from the West Corridor door, as I saw you,” murmured Ellery. “Check... Did you escort your visitor to the main entrance? Did you see him out?”

“Naturally.” The surgeon grew restless again. “Now see here, Queen, after all— You’re questioning me as if I were the criminal.” Again the dynamic little surgeon had worked himself into a rage. His voice rose shrilly; livid veins stood out on his gnarled neck.

Ellery approached Janney with a pleasant smile. “And by the way, Doctor, who was your visitor? Of course, since you’ve been so frank with me about everything else, you won’t mind telling me this?”

“I—” Janney’s rage ebbed from his face slowly. He grew quite pale. With a sudden gesture he stood straight, clicked his heels together, moistened his lips with the tip of his tongue...

A peremptory knock on the Amphitheater door sounded like thunder in the Anteroom. Ellery swung about instantly. “Come!”

The door opened and a small, slim man dressed in dark grey, white-haired and white-mustached, smiled in at them. Behind him stood a group of formidable-looking men.

“Well, dad,” said Ellery. He hurried forward. Their hands clasped and they looked earnestly at each other. Ellery shook his head the merest trifle. “You come in a most dramatic moment. It’s the most fascinating mess you’ve ever tackled, sir. Come on in!”

He stepped aside. Inspector Richard Queen advanced with springy steps, motioning the men behind to follow. He shot one quick comprehensive glance around the room, nodded affably to Dr. Janney and Dr. Minchen, hopped forward again.

“In, boys, inside,” he chirped. “There’s work to do. Ellery — on the job? Solved it yet? Thomas, come in and shut that door! And these gentlemen? Ah, doctors! A great profession... No, Ritchie, you’ll find nothing in this room. I take it the poor old lady was lying here when she was done in? Shocking, shocking!”

He looked around, chattering incessantly, his keen little eyes missing nothing.

Ellery introduced the two doctors. Both bowed without speaking. The detectives with the Inspector had spread about the room. One poked the wheel-table curiously; it slid a few inches on the rubber floor.

“District detectives?” asked Ellery with a grimace.

“Ritchie’s gang like to be in on everything,” chuckled the old man. “Don’t let ’em bother you... Come over to that corner, sir, and let’s hear the worst. I gather it’s something of a puzzle.”

“You gather correctly,” replied Ellery with a grim smile. They moved quietly away, by themselves, and Ellery in an undertone gave his father a résumé of the morning’s events, including the testimony that had been given. The old man nodded often. As Ellery’s recital drew to a close, the Inspector’s face grew graver. He shook his head.

“Worse and worse,” he groaned. “But that’s the life of a policeman. For every hundred open-and-shut cases there’s one that requires a mind trained in a dozen universities. Including the university of crime... There are a few things to be done at once.”

The Inspector turned back to his staff, approached the tall, hard-jawed detective-sergeant named Velie.

“What did ‘Doc’ Prouty say, Thomas?” he demanded... “No, sit still, Dr. Minchen; I’ll be prancing around... Well?”