Read Online The Roman Hat Mystery by Ellery Queen - Free Book Online
Authors: Ellery Queen
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two hours ago. Cause of death puzzled me for a while but it ’ s pretty well settled in my mind as poison. The signs all point to some form of alcoholic poisoning ― you ’ ve probably noticed the sallow blue color of the skin. Did you smell his breath? Sweetest odor of bum booze I ever had the pleasure of inhaling. He must have been drunk as a lord. At the same time, it couldn ’ t have been ordinary alcoholic poisoning ― he wouldn ’ t have dropped off so fast. That ’ s all I can tell you right now. ” He paused, buttoning his coat.
Queen took Field ’ s kerchief-wrapped flask from his pocket and handed it to Dr. Prouty. “ This is the dead man ’ s flask, Doc. Suppose you analyze the contents for me. Before you handle it, though, let Jimmy down at the laboratory look it over for fingerprints. And ― but wait a minute. ” The Inspector peered about and picked up the half-empty ginger-ale bottle where it stood in a corner on the carpet. “ You can analyze this ginger ale for me, too, Doc, ” he added.
The Assistant Medical Examiner, after stowing the flask and bottle into his bag, tenderly adjusted the hat on his head.
“ Well, I ’ ll be going, Inspector, ” he drawled. “ I ’ ll have a fuller report for you when I ’ ve performed the autopsy. Ought to give you something to work on. Incidentally, the morgue-wagon must be outside ― I phoned for one on my way down. So long. ” He yawned and slouched away.
As Dr. Prouty disappeared, two white-garbed orderlies hurried across the carpet, bearing a stretcher between them. At a sign from Queen they lifted the inert body, deposited it on the stretcher, covered it with a blanket and hustled out. The detectives and policemen around the door watched with relief as the grisly burden was borne away ― the main work of the evening for them was almost over. The audience ― rustling, shifting, coughing, murmuring ― twisted about with a renewal of interest as the body was unceremoniously carted off.
Queen had just turned to Ellery with a weary sigh when from the extreme right-hand side of the theatre came an ominous commotion. People everywhere popped out of their seats staring while policemen shouted for quiet. Queen spoke rapidly to a uniformed officer nearby. Ellery slipped to one side, eyes gleaming. The disturbance came nearer by jerky degrees. Two policemen appeared hauling a struggling figure between them. They dragged their capture to the head of the left aisle and hustled the man to his feet, holding him up by main force.
The man was short and ratlike. He wore cheap storeclothes of a sombre cut. On his head was a black hat of the kind sometimes worn by country dominies. His mouth writhed in an ugly manner; imprecations issued from it venomously. As he caught the eye of the Inspector fixed upon him, however, he ceased struggling and went limp at once.
“ Found this man try in ’ to sneak out the alley door on the other side of the buildin ’ , Inspector, ” panted one of the bluecoats, shaking the captive roughly.
The Inspector chuckled, took his brown snuffbox from his pocket, inhaled, sneezed his habitual joyful sneeze, and beamed upon the silent cowering man between the two officers.
“ Well, well, Parson, ” he said genially. “ Mighty nice of you to turn up so conveniently! ”
Chapter 4
In Which Many Are Called and Two Are Chosen
Some natures, through peculiar weakness, cannot endure the sight of a whining man. Of all the silent, threatening group ringed about the abject figure called “ Parson, ” Ellery alone experienced a sick feeling of disgust at the spectacle the prisoner was making of himself.
At the hidden lash in Queen ’ s words, the Parson drew himself up stiffly, glared into the Inspector ’ s eyes for a split second, then with a resumption of his former tactics began to fight against the sturdy arms which encircled him. He writhed and spat and cursed, finally becoming silent again. He was conserving his breath.
Queen took Field ’ s kerchief-wrapped flask from his pocket and handed it to Dr. Prouty. “ This is the dead man ’ s flask, Doc. Suppose you analyze the contents for me. Before you handle it, though, let Jimmy down at the laboratory look it over for fingerprints. And ― but wait a minute. ” The Inspector peered about and picked up the half-empty ginger-ale bottle where it stood in a corner on the carpet. “ You can analyze this ginger ale for me, too, Doc, ” he added.
The Assistant Medical Examiner, after stowing the flask and bottle into his bag, tenderly adjusted the hat on his head.
“ Well, I ’ ll be going, Inspector, ” he drawled. “ I ’ ll have a fuller report for you when I ’ ve performed the autopsy. Ought to give you something to work on. Incidentally, the morgue-wagon must be outside ― I phoned for one on my way down. So long. ” He yawned and slouched away.
As Dr. Prouty disappeared, two white-garbed orderlies hurried across the carpet, bearing a stretcher between them. At a sign from Queen they lifted the inert body, deposited it on the stretcher, covered it with a blanket and hustled out. The detectives and policemen around the door watched with relief as the grisly burden was borne away ― the main work of the evening for them was almost over. The audience ― rustling, shifting, coughing, murmuring ― twisted about with a renewal of interest as the body was unceremoniously carted off.
Queen had just turned to Ellery with a weary sigh when from the extreme right-hand side of the theatre came an ominous commotion. People everywhere popped out of their seats staring while policemen shouted for quiet. Queen spoke rapidly to a uniformed officer nearby. Ellery slipped to one side, eyes gleaming. The disturbance came nearer by jerky degrees. Two policemen appeared hauling a struggling figure between them. They dragged their capture to the head of the left aisle and hustled the man to his feet, holding him up by main force.
The man was short and ratlike. He wore cheap storeclothes of a sombre cut. On his head was a black hat of the kind sometimes worn by country dominies. His mouth writhed in an ugly manner; imprecations issued from it venomously. As he caught the eye of the Inspector fixed upon him, however, he ceased struggling and went limp at once.
“ Found this man try in ’ to sneak out the alley door on the other side of the buildin ’ , Inspector, ” panted one of the bluecoats, shaking the captive roughly.
The Inspector chuckled, took his brown snuffbox from his pocket, inhaled, sneezed his habitual joyful sneeze, and beamed upon the silent cowering man between the two officers.
“ Well, well, Parson, ” he said genially. “ Mighty nice of you to turn up so conveniently! ”
Chapter 4
In Which Many Are Called and Two Are Chosen
Some natures, through peculiar weakness, cannot endure the sight of a whining man. Of all the silent, threatening group ringed about the abject figure called “ Parson, ” Ellery alone experienced a sick feeling of disgust at the spectacle the prisoner was making of himself.
At the hidden lash in Queen ’ s words, the Parson drew himself up stiffly, glared into the Inspector ’ s eyes for a split second, then with a resumption of his former tactics began to fight against the sturdy arms which encircled him. He writhed and spat and cursed, finally becoming silent again. He was conserving his breath.
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