Read Online Who Done Houdini by Raymond John - Free Book Online

eat.
    Now it was my turn to be grilled. I answered her questions about the adventures in the hospital as she asked them, but did not find myself duty-bound to answer with my mouth full.
    â€œDo you really think you would have gone to jail if Officer O’Reilly hadn’t been on duty?”
    â€œNo. They know me well enough at the station. I’m sure they would have sent me home instead of arresting me. At least one or two of them would be interested in what really happened to Mr. Holmes.”
    â€œI can’t even tell you how exciting all of this is for me,” Violet twittered. “I started a scrapbook and saved all the news accounts.” She paused and continued in a conspiratorial tone. “I’ve even noticed something that may be important to you.”
    Holmes and I stared at her.
    Giggling, she got to her feet. “I’ll be right back.”
    â€œWhat a delightful woman, Wiggins.”
    â€œYes. She is.”
    Violet returned with a large scrapbook. She had pasted a picture of Houdini on the cover. Fingering through the first pages, she stopped.
    â€œHere. This is a picture taken of him eight weeks before he died.”
    Mr. Holmes and I studied it for a few seconds.
    She paged ahead to where she had loosened an article with a similar portrait. Removing it, she returned to the first one and set them side by side.
    â€œDo you see any difference between the photographs?”
    Both showed full-face snapshots. I studied them, then shook my head. “I don’t. How about you, Mr. Holmes?”
    â€œThey appear to be identical to me.”
    She giggled again, this time in triumph. “Look at the hairline in the first picture. He is nearly bald to the crown of his head, but you can see there is a fringe showing at the very top.”
    We bent forward to take a closer look. “I see what you mean,” said Holmes.
    â€œNow look at the newest one. It was taken the night of the performance.”
    Holmes and I looked at each other again. “It’s gone,” I said. “Maybe the camera angle is different.”
    â€œIt’s exactly the same,” Holmes said. “The picture is clear enough to show that Mr. Houdini appears to have lost some hair. Excellent observation, Mrs. Wiggins. Timothy, find your card with Dr. Cohn’s phone number.”
    I drummed my fingers impatiently against my pant leg until Dr. Cohn answered.
    After identifying myself, I said, “I apologize for bothering you so late, but there’s one question I’d like to ask you about Mr. Houdini’s visits.”
    â€œAsk away,” he said, sounding entirely genial.
    â€œDid you notice any hair loss?”
    â€œYes. As a matter of fact, some fell out while we were eating and he had to brush it off his shoulder so it wouldn’t fall into his food. I remember he had curly hair and kept it well-trimmed.”
    â€œDid he mention his hair loss to you?” I asked.
    â€œNo, and I probably wouldn’t have noticed it at all if it hadn’t fallen out while we were eating. I completely forgot about it. Did I miss something?”
    â€œNo. Absolutely not. Thank you for your assistance.”
    Mr. Holmes’s face was aglow. “Our first major clue.” He turned to Violet, who looked equally pleased. “Well done, my lady.”
    I was the one to kiss her, though I suspect she had hoped to get one from him, too.

 
    Chapter 9
    T hough it was against my better judgment, I had Violet drive when we picked up Holmes in front of the Palms the next morning. He was in a foul mood, cursing the entire way to the library because he had forgotten to bring his notebook on poisons with him.
    â€œInexcusable, Wiggins. I knew we would need it. I can clearly see my age has caught up with me.”
    â€œNonsense. You can find what you need in the library.”
    â€œA needless trip.”
    â€œNot at all. I wanted to research some poisons myself. I