第69章 WHO SHOT GRIGGS?(2)

"I came as soon as I got your message," the District Attorney said, as he seated himself in a chair by the desk."And I've sent word to Mr.Gilder....Now, then, Burke, let's have this thing quickly."The Inspector's explanation was concise:

"Joe Garson, Chicago Red, and Dacey, along with Griggs, broke into Edward Gilder's house, last night! I knew the trick was going to be pulled off, and so I planted Cassidy and a couple of other men just outside the room where the haul was to be made.

Then, I went away, and after something like half an hour I came back to make the arrests myself." A look of intense disgust spread itself over the Inspector's massive face."Well," he concluded sheepishly, "when I broke into the room I found young Gilder along with that Turner woman he married, and they were just talking together.""No trace of the others?" Demarest questioned crisply.

At the inquiry, Burke's face crimsoned angrily, then again set in grim lines.

"I found Griggs lying on the floor--dead!" Once again the disgust showed in his expression."The Turner woman says young Gilder shot Griggs because he broke into the house.Ain't that the limit?""What does the boy say?" the District Attorney demanded.

Burke shook his head dispiritedly.

"Nothing," he answered."She told him not to talk, and so, of course, he won't, he's such a fool over her.""And what does she say?" Demarest asked.He found himself rather amused by the exceeding chagrin of the Inspector over this affair.

Burke's voice grew savage as he snapped a reply.

"Refuses to talk till she sees a lawyer.But a touch of cheerfulness appeared in his tones as he proceeded."We've got Chicago Red and Dacey, and we'll have Garson before the day's over.And, oh, yes, they've picked up a young girl at the Turner woman's place.And we've got one real clue--for once!" The speaker's expression was suddenly triumphant.He opened a drawer of the desk, and took out Garson's pistol, to which the silencer was still attached.

"You never saw a gun like that before, eh?" he exclaimed.

Demarest admitted the fact after a curious examination.

"I'll bet you never did!" Burke cried, with satisfaction."That thing on the end is a Maxim silencer.There are thousands of them in use on rifles, but they've never been able to use them on revolvers before.This is a specially made gun," he went on admiringly, as he took it back and slipped it into a pocket of his coat."That thing is absolutely noiseless.I've tried it.

Well, you see, it'll be an easy thing--easiest thing in the world!--to trace that silencer attachment.Cassidy's working on that end of the thing now."For a few minutes longer, the two men discussed the details of the crime, theorizing over the baffling event.Then, presently, Cassidy entered the office, and made report of his investigations concerning the pistol with the silencer attachment.

"I got the factory at Hartford on the wire," he explained, "and they gave me Mr.Maxim himself, the inventor of the silencer.He said this was surely a special gun, which was made for the use of Henry Sylvester, one of the professors at Yale.He wanted it for demonstration purposes.Mr.Maxim said the things have never been put on the market, and that they never will be.""For humane reasons," Demarest commented, nodding approbation.

"Good thing, too!" Burke conceded."They'd make murder too devilish easy, and it's easy enough now....Well, Cassidy?""I got hold of this man, Sylvester," Cassidy went on."I had him on the 'phone, too.He says that his house was robbed about eight weeks ago, and among other things the silencer was stolen."Cassidy paused, and chuckled drily."He adds the startling information that the New Haven police have not been able to recover any of the stolen property.Them rube cops are immense!"Demarest smiled slyly, as the detective, at a nod from his superior, went toward the door.

"No," he said, maliciously; "only the New York police recover stolen goods.""Good-night!" quoth Cassidy, turning at the door, in admission of his discomfiture over the thrust, while Burke himself grinned wryly in appreciation of the gibe.

Demarest grew grave again, as he put the question that was troubling him most.

"Is there any chance that young Gilder did shoot Griggs?""You can search me!" the Inspector answered, disconsolately."My men were just outside the door of the room where Eddie Griggs was shot to death, and none of 'em heard a sound.It's that infernal silencer thing.Of course, I know that all the gang was in the house.""But tell me just how you know that fact," Demarest objected very crisply."Did you see them go in?""No, I didn't," the Inspector admitted, tartly."But Griggs----"Demarest permitted himself a sneer born of legal knowledge.

"Griggs is dead, Burke.You're up against it.You can't prove that Garson, or Chicago Red, or Dacey, ever entered that house."The Inspector scowled over this positive statement.

"But Griggs said they were going to," he argued.