Odell

“ Ronald Odell was a most extraordinary looking young fellow. He had been born and brought up in India, and seemed to suffer from an unconquerable lassitude that cave him a lifeless, insipid appearance. ”

“ Five of them were men of colour; three of the others were half-castes, the rest were whites. But they all had the languid, dreamy appearance which characterised Odell, who, as I was to subsequently learn, was their leader and president.
They ranged themselves round the table silently as ghosts; and, without a word, Ronald Odell handed a key to the Indian, who proceeded to unlock the chest I have referred to, and he took therefrom the skull goblet which had been carried off from Colonel Odell's "Treasure Chamber" by—could there any longer be a doubt?—his own son. ”

“ Odell was silly enough to be proud of being rich, and stingy enough to like to save her own money at other people's expense.
EVELYN.
Mrs. Odell had a six-year-old niece named Evelyn, a pale, delicate little girl, who lived in the city, and this Evelyn was coming to Gilead to visit her aunt Odell. She was coming in the cars to Mill Village in care of the conductor, and her aunt Odell was to send a carriage to the station to fetch her to Gilead. If the carriage was not there when the cars arrived, she was to stay with the station-man till it should arrive. I trust my story is plain thus far. ”

“ All he'd say was, that he'd be sorry to hurt Julius and had nothing against me, but The Key would get no chance in New York or any old town in the United States where Roger Odell had a finger in the pie.
"Well, you must have heard enough about Odell to know what such a threat amounts to. There are mighty few pies he hasn't got a finger in. Not that he's a man who threatens as a rule. He's made a good many men. ”

“ Some peeple dont no a good thing when they see it. Carl Odell has writ to Amanda, and he sez, "I am writing this in the midst of falling shells and boms busting in air, but if ever I come out al-rite little girl I'll come back to you." Carl Odell must have been sent to the front pretty quick al-rite as he has only been gone too weaks, and he sez he has a lot of inside inflammation, but he is afraid the censer will cut it out. ”

“ Odell had seen that look in the faces of men before; and the thought which came to him all but stunned his faculties for a moment. Then pulling himself together he stirred experimentally, emitted a faint groan, and threw one arm up over his head. Tony slept on undisturbed, and the other figure remained motionless.
With a quick, noiseless movement the detective sat up, threw the dirty blankets from him, and tiptoeing across the floor laid one hand on Pete's shoulder and with the other felt for his heart. It had ceased to beat. ”

“ Handcuffed and snarling curses, he was dragged to where the two cars waited in the roadway.
"Miller, you can drive that roadster, can't you?" Odell asked. "Smith can stand on the running-board and see that your passenger behaves himself; for I'm going to give you two the job of taking Drew to Headquarters. I'll escort Miss Chalmers home."
Cissie gave a sharp cry of despair as the roadster glided off, then drew herself up and, disdaining Odell's hand, stepped into the tonneau of the touring car and seated herself. He got in beside her, and the chauffeur took his place behind the wheel. ”

“ Odell could not help but admire the cleverness with which his opponent had turned the tables, and he smiled candidly.
"Granted. Still"—the smile faded and his jaw set sternly—"an arrest on suspicion, with due publicity, including the printing of that note verbatim in every newspaper in the city would achieve practically the same result as far as you are concerned, my dear Mr. Drew. I fancy that Gene's explanation would not only prove interesting reading to your circle of acquaintances but would prevent your making others among the unsophisticated scions of wealthy families." ”

“ Odell announced. "Pull up and wait by that open lot there, where the empty roadster is stalled. Will you take a chance on putting out your own lights?"
"Surest thing you know!" the chauffeur responded with alacrity. "If there's liable to be any rough work and you want me, why, that's my middle name."
Odell thanked him, and with Miller and Smith at his heels pushed through the rank undergrowth of the neglected yard until they came to a narrow path which led to the back door of the vine-covered cottage. ”

“ Hanny was so delighted that her eyes shone, and her cheeks were pink as a rose-leaf.
But Mrs. Odell said she could notice that her appetite was better, and she was doing her best to fat her up a little, and make her look like a country girl.
Mr. Odell took her about with him when he could. There were so many beautiful places up and down the valley of the Bronx. They went up to White Plains, and took everybody by surprise. Grandmother up there was quite feeble now. ”

“ If our Master had not even 'where to lay his head,' it ill becomes us to murmur because every natural good is not spread out before us."
In this state of mind, Odell went to his new circuit. Having deposited his family, consisting of a wife and one child, in the little village of S—, with a kind brother, who offered them a home at a mere nominal board, he mounted his horse and started forth on a three weeks' tour among the members of the church to whom he was to minister, during the next twelve months, in holy things. ”

“ Odell replied, wondering as he did so why he was giving this strange boy such complete confidence. If Rannie could in some way have slipped off downstairs and unseen dropped the poison into that cup before the broth was placed in it, his audacity and queer, warped sense of humor would have found rare sport in hoodwinking the man who had set himself to solve the problem. ”

“ He's a slick guy for fair."
"Keep your eye on that shop till I get there," ordered Odell. "If he comes out shadow him but 'phone back here to Headquarters the first chance you get so that I can follow you. Get me?"
"Sure, Sergeant."
There came the almost simultaneous click of two receivers, and Odell turned to his chief.
"Can I have Miller? I've a hunch we'll need him; Gene Chalmers thinks he has given Porter the slip, and he is over on Third Avenue in some joint that has a shop in front for a blind. I rather think there will be developments." ”

“ Odell turned upon the other a gaze of mild inquiry.
"If I am in need of anything, at least to the extent of compounding a felony in order to obtain it, I am unaware of the fact," he said blandly. "Can you be a trifle more explicit, Mr. Drew?"
"You are young and ambitious; I think you have a real love for your work, an immense enthusiasm, and you are impatient to reach the top of the ladder. I've seen your name in the papers in connection with more than one big case in a subordinate capacity; but minor success is sometimes a boomerang. ”

“ After a while Odell picked up his spading fork and wiped the tines.
Yes, every kind of bad luck was coming at once; drouth, [11] bull-calves, wind to waste fertiliser, doctors’ bills, expenses for a nurse, for Mrs. Hagan, for posts and wire,—and the land riddled with quack and horse-radish....
He’d about broken even, so far, during the last twenty years. All these years he’d marked time, doggedly, plugging away. Because, after all, there had been nothing else to do. He could not stop. To sell meant merely to begin again somewhere else, plug away, break about even year after year, die plugging. ”

“ Gene gave one fleeting, desperate glance toward his desk—in the lock of which the key still remained—and fled downstairs.
Unless the young man had temporarily lost his head and burned his papers without discrimination as they came to his hand, those already destroyed must have been the most important; and locking the door in his turn, Odell went quickly to the grate and pocketed every unburned scrap that remained. ”

“ Odell rose and began to pace the floor of the office as if the mental struggle within him required some physical expression. "Why did Peters run away? Who telephoned the carpenter to send someone to hang the portrait before it had fallen? Who does Cissie Chalmers fear? Is it Rannie; and if so has she any reason for that fear other than her very evident dislike of him?"
"It looks like a queer tangle, all right," his superior admitted. "You've done a good bit for one day, Odell. After the autopsy on Mrs. Lorne—"
"That can only prove what we know already or else leave us where we are now. ”

“ Then gradually the sneering smile vanished as if a hand had passed across his lips.
"Another of them?" he repeated. "Gene got off scot-free, and Dad with only his arm and a rib or two out of commission. You must mean—"
"That your fears were well founded? I am afraid so." Odell's tone was studiously callous. "That's the trouble with people when they start murder on a large scale; success makes them too confident, too impatient. ”

“ Odell admitted. "Your friend should see to it that the window is not broken or the shade torn, if he wishes to hold a strictly private conversation."
Gene drew a deep breath and squared his shoulders.
"I'm glad you did hear, Sergeant; that simplifies matters. And please don't call that scoundrel a friend of mine; he is the worst enemy a man could have. ”

“ Odell looked up at the last observation.
"Miss Meade? She seems to be the least considered of anyone in the household."
"Yet she is running them all now in an unobtrusive way. Porter and Kelly and Smith all tell me the same. I took a run up there myself yesterday afternoon and had a talk with her. She seems quite crushed by the evidence of the attempts on the lives of her nephew and her brother-in-law; and I don't think she believes for a minute that there was anything questionable about the death of the other boy and of her sister. Lorne himself is much better and wants to see you. ”

“ Odell paused. "If the crimes are not the work of someone in the house, there is at least a member of the household who has a guilty knowledge of them, for there must have been an accomplice inside to admit him. But I am taking up your valuable time, Doctor?"
"You are not, Sergeant," the specialist replied with emphasis. "A frightful mistake has been made by myself and my colleagues, and I want to do all that I can to retrieve it. Unfortunately, I was called in too late to save Mrs. Lorne in any event, as I told you; but I feel equally culpable with the others. ”

“ Evidently he was desperately in love with Grace Callender. Could the mere fact that I had named a book of mine The Key, and turned my plot upon a mysterious key found in a dead man's pocket, have inspired Odell with revengeful rage? Except for the title, and the key in the pocket, there was nothing in my book or in Carr Price's play which bore even the vaguest likeness to the Callender-Graham tragedy. ”

“ Every man looked at his fellow and laid his hand on the dagger at his belt. Hatred, fanned by the speaker’s revelations, blazed up; and a growl of anger passed throughout the vast crowd. Prexaspes ceased at last and for a moment stood in silence. Then he added:
“I have told you all! There, on yonder pole, is the head of false Gaumata! My hand is red with the blood of an Achæmenian Prince, and by the law I must die! By the grace of the mighty King of Kings, Darius, son of Hystaspis, who is this day your King, I die as I choose. I salute you, O King! May you live forever!” ”

“ Gene had lost no time after encountering the detective in locking himself in his room and burning certain papers.
It was natural, perhaps, that the young man should have private letters which he would not care to have seen by the prying eyes of a stranger; yet coupling his discovery with Titheredge's statement of the previous association with the notorious Farley Drew, Odell decided to look into the matter without delay. ”

“ Odell commanded.
"Say, this door's unfastened," Smith announced in a sepulchral whisper as the other operative slipped away in the darkness.
"If Drew is in there he evidently doesn't anticipate a flank attack," Odell returned. "He's planned for a rear getaway in case of trouble. Remember that little roadster in front of the open lot?"
"Sure; but what's his game with the girl? If he knows we've got Sims his only chance is to get clean away; and he wouldn't want to be hampered with a petticoat."
"He knows that no third degree in the world will make Sims talk ”

“ I found that his family consisted of his wife—an Anglo-Indian lady——three charming daughters, his eldest son, Ronald Odell, a young man about four-and-twenty, and a younger son, a youth of twelve. The family were waited upon at table by two parlour-maids, the butler, and a page-boy. The butler was an elderly, sedate, gentle manly-looking man; the boy had an open, frank face, and the same remark applied to the two girls. As I studied them I saw nothing calculated to raise my suspicions in any way. Indeed, I felt instinctively that I could safely pledge myself for their honesty. ”

“ Odell shook his head, and his tone was very grave.
"Had anyone been listening in the hall outside the library last night and heard your decision to take your story to the police this morning, they would naturally suppose that you would rise earlier than the rest of the family, and that you and Mr. Lorne would descend the stairs together; wouldn't they?"
"Good heavens!" the attorney exclaimed. "That never occurred to me. It was a mad, desperate attempt, then, to kill us in order to prevent our notifying you!" ”

“ Odell's diplomacy came to his aid. "If someone else had burned that sawdust and put the ashes in Gene's grate to throw suspicion on him it wouldn't have taken much mental effort; would it? But if Gene himself had burned it in the tray from the bottom of the cage in Randall's room, purposely put back the tray uncleaned to leave the evidence, and then emptied the ashes into his own grate to make it look as if his brother were guilty and trying to incriminate him, that would show scheming of a rather higher order ”