Page:The Adventure at Heath Crest.pdf/7

Rh "Ha, sir! I tell you there's a lot more behind it," said the coroner's officer, mysteriously. "Strikes me it's going to be one of the rummiest affairs I've ever took a part in, and that's saying a good deal, I can tell you."

"How?" I thought he alluded to the murder, and was anxious to know how much had leaked out by this time.

"Well, sir, I can't help laughing, but it's just this way. As I was leaving the house after serving the notice I stopped to tell the servant we should be there about half-past seven, and I was just walking away when who should I see coming up the front path, as hard as he could pelt, but Sergeant Brown, from Scotland Yard, whom I knew from often seeing him at these affairs. 'Why, what do you want?' says I. 'This is none of your business yet awhile; we haven't had our say yet.' 'What do you mean?' says he; 'I've got a warrant to execute.' 'Warrant?' says I. 'Who for?' 'Mr. Fahbwerker,' says he, mysterious like; 'and where's the joke?' For he saw I was laughing fit to split myself. 'You're a day too late,' says I. 'What's that?' says he, quite startled. 'Someone else has been arresting him before you,' I says, jokingly. 'Nonsense,' he says; 'there's no other warrant out against him but the one I've got.' 'Oh, yes,' I says, 'there is.' 'What d'ye mean?' he says. 'A death warrant,' I says. 'Get out,' says he: 'you're joking.' 'Not a bit of it,' says I; 'if you don't believe me, just you go and ask at the house.' 'You don't say so,' says he, struck all of a heap like. 'You're quite sure, are you?' he says presently. 'All I know,' says I, 'is there's going to be an inquest, and I've just served them with the summons to attend, and the body's going to the mortuary to-morrow morning for the doctor to make a post-mortem examination.'"

I said nothing, but I suppose my astonishment must have been palpable, and the officer continued:

"I tell you, sir, it was just about the best thing could have happened to the poor fellow to die when he did, though I don't suppose he'd agree with me if he could speak."

"What did the detective do?" I asked presently.