"You let that man--a Japanese--see the dead Chinaman--_alone_?" he
demanded.
"Why, of course!" the attendant answered surlily. "He'd Mr. Ayscough's
card, and--"
Mirandolet dropped the man's arm and threw up his own long white hands.
"Merciful Powers!" he vociferated. "He has stolen the diamond!"
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
THE MIRANDOLET THEORY
The silence that followed on this extraordinary exclamation was suddenly
broken: the mortuary keeper, who had been advancing towards a door at the
side of the room, dropped a bunch of keys. The strange metallic sound of
their falling roused Ayscough, who had started aside, and was staring,
open-mouthed, at Mirandolet's waving hands. He caught the doctor by the
arm.
"What on earth do you mean?" he growled. "Speak man--what is it?"
Mirandolet suddenly laughed.
"What is it?" he exclaimed. "Precisely what I said, in plain language!
That fellow has, of course, gone off with the diamond--worth eighty
thousand pounds! Your card!--Oh, man, man, whatever have you been doing?
Be quick!--who is this Japanese?--how came he by your card? Quick, I say!
--if you want to be after him!"
"Hanged if I know what this means!" muttered Ayscough.
Pages:
266
267
268
269
270
271
272
273
274
275
276
277
278
279
280
281
282
283
284
285
286
287
288
289
290