Carolyn Wells

“ Lorimer Lane was not scoffing at Nelson’s assumption, on the contrary, he was seriously interested.
Middle-aged, reserved and rather taciturn, he was glad to take hold of this strange case, and this new turn of Barham’s regarding the scarabs was both astonishing and intriguing.
“No, I can’t—” Nelson confessed, “that’s why I have come to you. I know Andrew Barham as well as I know any man on earth, and I know him to be incapable of dishonesty in any form. Yet, I know when he told me he exchanged those scarabs, he did exchange them. Now, I want you to find out why.” ”

“ If you love me—if you want me—I am your Pearl Jane forever—whether we ever meet again or not.”
“All right, sweetheart, then, remember this. When you hear—as you may, the most astonishing news—remember that I love you, I—I love you!” ”

“ Lane observed. “I’m good at getting at the sweethearts.”
“She’s not so easy, though. For a young thing, and a demure, innocent looking person, she has a lot of reserve force of character that crops out unexpectedly. I don’t know her personally, you understand, though I’ve seen her, but Detective Hutchins has told me a lot about her. Sometimes I believe he thinks she’s mixed up in the actual crime, and then again, I feel sure he’s only pretending to do so, by way of urging Locke to put in an appearance to protect the girl.” ”

“ But she’s so uncommunicative, it’s hard to tell.”
“I’ll find out where she stands,” and Lane nodded his head in assurance. “The hardest proposition to tackle is Andrew Barham himself. From your description of him I fancy he can hold his own against a detective’s questioning.”
“Yes, he can. But if he takes a notion to confide in you—and I don’t see why he shouldn’t——”
“What does he think of Locke?” Lane interrupted.
“He doesn’t express any definite opinion. His one question is, how did his wife happen to go to Locke’s studio. ”

“ And Nick Nelson spent the better part of two hours, detailing all he knew, both from the police reports and from his personal knowledge of the Barhams and their friends and acquaintances.
Lane was especially interested in anything concerning Tommy Locke—perhaps because it was regarding that elusive gentleman that Nelson’s information was the least definite.
“He seems a harmless sort,” Nick said; “not at all the kind of man you think of as a murderer. A mediocre artist, a good pal, a quiet sort of person generally. ”

“ And, I must say we’re no nearer finding that out than we were the night of the murder.”
“The whole thing is so bizarre, the whole case so incredible that it ought to be easy,” the detective said.
“Easy?”
“Yes; the more strange and unusual the circumstances, the easier it is, usually, to ferret out their meaning. ”