R. Austin Freeman

“ I replied. "But I had an adventure one night about six or seven weeks ago that has made the Hampstead police look on me, I think, with some suspicion;" and here I gave my two friends a description of my encounter with the dead (or insensible) cleric in Millfield Lane, and my discoveries on the following morning.
"But my dear Jardine!" Thorndyke exclaimed when I had finished, "what an extraordinary man you are! It seems as if you could hardly show your nose out of doors without becoming involved in some dark and dreadful mystery." ”

“ They can't create clues; and they, very naturally, will not devote time, labor and money to cases in which they have nothing to go on.
"Now this affair of yours does not look like a professional crime. No motive is evident and you can give no information that would help the police. I doubt if they would do much more than give you some rather disagreeable publicity, and they might even suspect you of some kind of imposture."
"Gad!" I exclaimed. "That's just what they would do. It's what they did last time, and this affair would write me down in their eyes a confirmed mystery-monger." ”

“ Thorndyke arrived, and, having quickly looked me over to see that I was none the worse for my adventure, proceeded to business.
"Have you finished the visits, Jervis?" he asked.
"Yes; and sent off all the medicine. There's nothing more to do until six."
"Then," said Thorndyke, "we might have a cup of tea in the consulting-room and talk this affair over. I am rather taking possession of you, Jardine," he added, "but I think we ought to see where we are quite clearly, even if we decide finally to hand the case over to the police. Don't you agree with me?" ”

“ But in cases of obscure, non-professional crime the police are at a disadvantage. The criminal is unknown to them; there are no confederates from whom to get information; consequently they have no starting-point for their inquiries. ”

“ Devil of a bobbery if anyone sees you. Hallo! There goes the bell. Patient. Let him wait. 'Tisn't six yet, is it?"
"Two minutes past," replied Thorndyke, rising and looking at his watch. "Perhaps we had better be starting as it's now dark, and the business at the works, if there is any, is probably over for the day."
"Hang the works!" exclaimed Batson. "I wouldn't go nosing about there. What's the good? Jardine's all right and the chappie isn't likely to be on view. You'll only raise a stink for nothing and bring in a crowd of beastly reports humming about the place. ”

“ If you couldn't identify the man, a description of Gill, if we could obtain it, would not help us. We must begin at some other point."
"It seems to me," said Jervis, "that we haven't much to go upon at all."
"We haven't much," agreed Thorndyke, "but still we have something. We find that the motive of this attempt was apparently not robbery, nor the diversion of inheritable property, nor personal enmity. It must have been premeditated, but yet it could not have been planned more than a week in advance, for Jardine has only been in this neighborhood for that time, and his coming was unexpected. ”

“ Thorndyke admitted, "I will confess that the case piques my curiosity somewhat. It is an unusual affair and suggests some curious hypotheses which might be worth testing. So, if you agree, Jardine, that we make at least a few preliminary investigations, I suggest that, as soon as Batson returns, we three go over to the what the newspapers would call 'the scene of the tragedy' and reconstitute the affair on the spot."
"And what about Batson?" I asked. "Shall we tell him anything?"
"I think we must," said Thorndyke, "if only to put him on his guard; for your unknown enemy may be his enemy, too." ”

“ Thorndyke's instructions were that you are not to make any visits or go abroad until after the inquest."
"Inquest?" I exclaimed.
"Yes. He's coming here at four o'clock to hold an inquiry into the circumstances that led to your being locked up in a cellar, and until then I'm to look after the practice and keep an eye on you. What time do you expect the offspring of the flittermouse?"
"Who?" I demanded.
"Batson. He's coming back to-day, isn't he?"
"Yes. About six o'clock to-night."
"Then you'll be able to clear out. So much the better. The neighborhood doesn't seem very wholesome for you." ”

“ Then that seems to exclude robbery as a motive. The next question is: Does any person stand to benefit considerably by your death? Have you any considerable expectations in the way of bequests, reversions or succession to landed property or titles? ”

“ This morning I called on Mr. Highfield, whose name, as solicitor and agent to the landlords, I copied from the notice on the gate at the works last night. He knows me slightly so I was able to get from him the information that I wanted. ”