human
That's just what we would all like to know,
gpt
There was a light in his office when I called for my umbrella about half-past ten,
human
But did you see Mr. Hazeldine, and speak to him at that time?
gpt
No, I never saw him at all yesterday evening. He did not get back from London till late, and I would not disturb him.
human
Then it must have been you, sir, that I heard going out about that time,
gpt
Most probably. I let myself in with my pass-key, found my umbrella in the dark, and was out of the Bank again in three minutes.
human
And I came upstairs when I heard the door bang, thinking it was Mr. Hazeldine who had gone, said Sweet.
gpt
I was quite dumbfounded when I opened the office-door and saw him sitting there in his chair. 'I shall not be done for about half an hour yet,' says he. 'I will let myself out when I'm ready. You needn't trouble any more, Sweet.' So with that I went, leaving him sitting there. Little did I think----
human
Never mind what you thought; tell us what happened next,
gpt
What happened next was that I went downstairs and got my supper, responded Sweet, with a resentful glance at the chief constable.
human
After that I sat and had a pipe, waiting to hear Mr. Hazeldine go, that I might lock up for the night.
gpt
But you never heard him go, hey?
human
No, I never heard him go. I waited till half-past eleven, and then I went upstairs again.
gpt
Perhaps you had a little snooze meanwhile,
human
Me go to sleep when I'm on dooty! exclaimed Sweet, with an indignant sniff.
gpt
No, sir, I'm not one of that sort, and nobody ever hinted at such a thing before.
human
I am glad to hear it. But tell us what happened when you came upstairs for the second time.
gpt
Not caring to disturb Mr. Hazeldine again if he was still there, I peeped through the keyhole to see whether there was a light, but I couldn't see one. Still, to make sure, I knocked, but there was no answer, so I opened the door and looked in. Everything was in darkness; the gas was out and the fire was out. Says I to myself, 'He's gone;' and with that I locked the door on the outside, feeling sure that everything was right.
human
But ought not the fact of your not having heard Mr. Hazeldine leave the premises have caused you to suspect that something was wrong?
gpt
Mr. Hazeldine was a very quiet gentleman. He would shut the front door and make hardly any noise about it. Mr. Brancker here, begging his pardon for saying so, generally bangs the door after him.
human
What did you do when you found, as you thought, that Mr. Hazeldine was gone?
gpt
I did what I always do--I put out the gas in the lobby and fastened up the front door for the night, and then went the rest of my rounds to see that everything was right.
human
How often in the course of the night are you supposed to go your rounds?
gpt
Once every hour; and I'm not only supposed to go 'em, but do go 'em.
human
And you neither saw nor heard anything last night out of the ordinary way--nothing, in fact, to make you suspicious that anything was wrong?
gpt
Nothing whatever. I was as comfortable in my mind when I turned into bed between six and seven this morning as ever I was in my life.
human
The inference would seem to be that the crime was committed between the hours of half-past ten and half past eleven, said Mace.
gpt
But that is a point which will have to be inquired into more minutely later on. Then turning to John, he added,
human
You, Mr. Brancker, will probably be able to tell us whether there has been robbery here as well as murder,
gpt
Yes, there has certainly been foul play here as well as in the other room, said John Brancker, after a brief examination of the strong room.
human
In the first place, the twelve hundred pounds are gone which Mr. Hazeldine fetched from London yesterday, and I have no doubt that there were cash and notes to the amount of three or four thousand pounds in the safe, which also seem to be missing. The exact sum I cannot, of course, tell till I have examined the books. Of this safe Mr. Hazeldine himself always kept the key. The other safes in the cellar are under my charge. I must at once send a telegram to Mr. Avison, who is staying for a few days in Paris on his way home.
gpt
That's an ugly bruise, Mr. Brancker, just above your left eye,
human
Yes; it is the result of a little accident last night, answered John, indifferently.
gpt
A woman flung a stone at me. I suppose I shall be disfigured for a few days; but it might have been worse.
human
If you will step this way for a moment, there is something I should like to ask you about, said Mace, and with that he led the way to the inner office, Dr. Barton and Sweet bringing up the rear. Mace unlocked the door and they all went in.
gpt
Can you explain how those marks came there?
human
Good gracious, no! cried John with a start.
gpt
I know no more about them than you do --which was precisely the remark Sweet had given utterance to.
human
And there are more marks outside my drawer! What can it all mean?
gpt
It may, perhaps, be as well to open the drawer, if you have the key about you.
human
This is the one, he said, handing the bunch to Mace.
gpt
Perhaps you had better open the drawer yourself.
human
Someone has been here to a certainty, he said.
gpt
The books and papers have been disturbed, and as for those stains----
human
And yet the lock does not seem to have been tampered with,
gpt
It's all a mystery, and I can throw no light on it whatever,
human
Can you call to mind the last occasion of your having to open the drawer?
gpt
It was when I put my papers away last evening before leaving; that would be sometime between eight and nine o'clock.
human
Then you did not open the drawer when you came back to the Bank at half-past ten?
gpt
Certainly not. I had no occasion to do so. I did not even light the gas, but searched for and found my umbrella in the dark. I was not more than two minutes in the office.
human
I shall have to keep this office locked up till the jury have visited it, said Mace.
gpt
I have no doubt the Coroner will be able to sit this afternoon.