Drury Lane’s Last Case

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Authors: Ellery Queen
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practical——”
    â€œHow curious,” smiled Patience. “It doesn’t seem the proper British psychology, somehow.”
    The Inspector coughed very loudly. “Now, Patty,” he said in a chiding tone, “Dr. Choate’s a busy man, and we can’t take up his whole day chinning about something that’s not our business.”
    â€œOh, now really, Inspector——”
    â€œI’m sure it’s a pleasure for an old fossil like Choate,” remarked Mr. Rowe warmly, “to converse with as beautiful a creature as your daughter, Inspector——”
    A desperate light began to glitter in Thumm’s eye. “What we really came for, Dr. Choate,” he said, ignoring the young man, “is to find out about Donoghue.”
    â€œDonoghue?” The curator seemed puzzled, and glanced at Rowe, who sat forward with bright eyes. “What’s the matter with Donoghue?”
    â€œWhat’s the matter with Donoghue?” growled the Inspector. “Why, Donoghue’s disappeared, that’s what’s the matter with him!”
    The young man’s smile faded. “Disappeared?” he said swiftly.
    Dr. Choate frowned. “Are you sure, Inspector? I suppose you’re referring to our special guard?”
    â€œSure! Say, didn’t you know he hadn’t turned up for work this morning?”
    â€œCertainly. But I thought nothing of it.” The curator rose and began to pace the drugget behind his desk. “Burch, our caretaker, did mention something to me this morning about Donoghue’s failure to turn up, but it didn’t occur to me——Matter of fact, Rowe, you remember I mentioned it to you. You see, we like him here and give him rather more freedom than he would have in another situation. And then the museum’s being shut down.… What’s happened? What’s the matter, Inspector?”
    â€œWell, as far as we can find out,” replied the Inspector grimly, “he beat it out of here yesterday afternoon while that party of school-teachers were being shown around and he hasn’t been seen since. Hasn’t turned up at his boarding-house, didn’t keep a date with a friend of his last night—just dropped clean out of sight.”
    â€œIt’s rather odd, don’t you think, Doctor?” murmured Patience.
    Gordon Rowe laid his book down very quietly.
    â€œQuite, quite,” said Dr. Choate, who seemed disturbed. “The party of teachers.… They seemed a harmless enough lot, Inspector.”
    â€œWhen you’re a cop as many years as I’ve been,” retorted the Inspector, “you learn not to depend too much on appearances. I understood it was you who took that bunch around the museum.”
    â€œYes.”
    â€œHow many of them were there, d’ye remember?”
    â€œReally, I don’t know. I’m afraid I didn’t count, Inspector.”
    â€œYou didn’t by any chance,” asked Patience softly, “notice a middle-aged man with a bushy grey moustache and a bluish sort of hat among them, did you, Doctor?”
    â€œI’ve the failing of most shut-ins, Miss Thumm; half the time I’m unconscious of my surroundings.”
    â€œI did,” said Rowe with a snap of his lean jaws. “But it was just a glimpse, blast it.”
    â€œToo bad,” said the Inspector sarcastically. “So you just showed ’em around, eh, Doctor?”
    â€œThat’s my crime, Inspector,” replied the curator with a shrug. “Why do you ask especially after this man in the blue hat, Miss Thumm?”
    â€œBecause the man in the blue hat,” replied Patience, “was an illegitimate member of the party, Dr. Choate, and because we’ve every reason to believe that Donoghue’s disappearance is connected with him in some way.”
    â€œFunny,” muttered young Rowe. “Funny. Intrigue in the museum,

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