Chapter 3 Chapter 3 Facts and Inferences

The God of Chaos has completed a masterpiece: The most blasphemous murder, Has pried open the holy temple of God, Steal the essence of the temple from it. Turning my attention back to the house, I found the coroner reading a note through a pair of conspicuous gold-rimmed spectacles. "Is the butler here?" he asked. There was an instant commotion among the servants in the corner, and then a shrewd-looking, but somewhat pompous Irishman stepped out of the throng to stand before the coroner. "Ah!" I said to myself, as my gaze caught his trimmed mustache, determined eyes, and respectful but far from humble expression, "this is an exemplary servant, and probably an exemplary witness too. .”

Turns out I was right, the Thomas Butler was one in a thousand—and he obviously knew it himself. The coroner, like everyone else in the room, seemed to take a liking to the butler, and began questioning him without hesitation. "Your name, as far as I know, is Thomas Dorothy?" "Yes, sir." "Well, Thomas, how long have you been employed as a housekeeper?" "Two years now, sir." "You were the first to discover Mr. Leavenworth's body?" "Yes, sir. Mr. Harwell and I discovered it." "Who is Mr. Harwell?" "Mr. Harwell was Mr. Leavenworth's private secretary, and wrote for him."

"Very well. What time of day or night did you find the body?" "Very early, sir, this morning, about eight o'clock." "Where?" "In the study, sir. That is the room next to Mr. Leavenworth's bedroom. Mr. Leavenworth didn't come to breakfast, and we had to force our way in out of fear." "Break in, so the door was locked then?" "Yes, sir." "Locked from the inside?" "I can't judge. There was no key on the door at the time." "Where was Mr. Leavenworth lying when you found him?"

"He was not lying down, but sitting in front of the big desk in the study, with his back to the bedroom door, leaning forward and resting his head on his hands." "What costume is he wearing?" "Dinner attire, sir, as he was at dinner last night." "Are there any signs of fighting or struggling in the room?" "No, sir." "Is there a pistol on the floor or on the table?" "No, sir." "Is there any reason to suppose that this was an attempted robbery?" "No, sir. Mr. Leavenworth's watch and wallet are still in his pocket."

He was then asked who was in the house when the body was found, and he replied: "Young ladies, Miss Mary Leavenworth and Miss Eleanor. Mr Harwell, Cook Kate, the girls upstairs Molly, and myself." "Is this the person who usually lives in this house?" "Yes, sir." "Now tell me, who is responsible for closing the doors and windows at night?" "That's my job, sir." "Did you close and lock the doors and windows as usual last night?" "Yes, sir." "Who opened the doors and windows this morning?" "It's me, sir."

"Did you find anything?" "Same as last night, nothing has changed." "What? No windows were opened? No door locks were opened?" "No, sir." At this time, the room was so quiet that even a needle could be heard falling to the ground.It appeared that whoever the murderer was, hadn't left the house at least until the door opened in the morning.This fact seems to have a psychological impact on everyone.Even with some mental preparation, I can't help but have some degree of mood swings.I carefully observed the butler's expression, looking for clues that he was lying to cover up his negligence.But his integrity seemed unblemished, and he looked around the room with a rocky eye.

Asked when he last saw Mr Leavenworth alive, he replied: "At dinner yesterday." "Did anyone else see him after that?" "Yes, Mr. Harwell said he was seen at ten-thirty in the evening." "Which room in this house do you live in?" "A small room in the basement." "Where do the others live?" "Mostly on the third floor, sir. The ladies are in the big room at the back and Mr. Harwell is in the smaller room at the front. The girls sleep on the upper floor." "Doesn't anyone sleep on the same floor as Mr. Leavenworth?"

"No, sir." "What time do you go to bed?" "Well, it should be around eleven o'clock." "As far as you can remember, did you hear any noise in the house before or after that?" "No, sir." "So this morning's discovery surprised you?" "Yes, sir." A detailed description of the discovery of the deceased follows.He said that it was not until Mr. Leavenworth did not answer the bell at breakfast that there was any suspicion that something was amiss.Even so, everyone waited for a while and did not take any action, but as time passed, Miss Eleanor became more and more worried, and finally couldn't help leaving, saying that she would go upstairs to see what was going on. It happened, but she soon came down again, with a panicked look, saying that she had knocked on his uncle's door, and even called his name, but there was no response.So Mr. Harwell and himself went upstairs together, tried both doors and found they were locked, so they had to knock open the study door, and as soon as they entered, they saw Mr. Leavenworth sitting at the desk and looking forward. Only to find that he had already passed away.

"Where are the ladies?" "Well, they came up into the room afterwards, and Miss Eleanor passed out." "Where's the other one? Is it called Mary?" "I don't remember what she did. I was in such a hurry to get water to wake Miss Eleanor that I didn't notice her." "Well, how long after that did you move Mr. Leavenworth into the next room?" "Almost immediately. As soon as the water I brought touched Miss Eleanor's lips, she awoke, and as soon as she awoke we moved Mr. Leavenworth." "Who suggested that the body should be moved?"

"She, sir. She went over as soon as she woke up, and trembled at the sight, and called Mr. Harwell and me, and ordered us to carry him in and put him in bed, and then call for the doctor. We did." "Wait, did she go with you when you went to the next room?" "No, sir." "What was she doing then?" "She's at the table in the study." "do what?" "I can't see her back to me." "How long has she been there?" "When we went back, she had left." "Leaving the table?" "Leaving the room."

"Hmph! When will you see her again?" "A minute later. When we were going out, she came into the study again." "Do you have something in your hand?" "I didn't see it." "Is there something missing from the table?" "It never occurred to me, sir. The table didn't mean a thing to me, and all I wanted was to go to the doctor, though I knew it was useless." "Who was still in the room when you went out?" "The cook, Molly, and Miss Eleanor." "Is Miss Mary not here?" "Not here, sir." "Very well. Any questions for the jury?" The silent jury suddenly moved. "I want to ask a few questions," said a wizened, excitable man. I had noticed him moving restlessly in his seat before, apparently suppressing a desire to interrupt the interrogation. "Okay, sir," Thomas said. But the gentleman stopped, took a deep breath, and a strong, pompous man to his right seized the opportunity and began to ask in a thick "listen to me" voice. "You said you have been here for two years, do you think this family is harmonious?" "harmony?" "There's just affection, you know--to have fun with each other," said the juror with the long, heavy watch chain, as if he had an appropriate and thoughtful answer. Perhaps the butler was intimidated by the attitude of the other party, and looked around uneasily. "Yes, sir, so far as I know." "Both ladies like their uncle?" "Oh yes, sir." "What about each other?" "Well, I suppose so. That's not something I can comment on." "You think so. Is there any other reason you don't think so?" He twisted the watch chain twice around his finger, as if doubling his concentration. Thomas hesitated for a moment.But when the interlocutor was about to repeat the question, he straightened himself up, and replied in a stiff, formal manner: "Well, sir, no." The jury member, though a confident figure, seemed to have respect for such a servant who kept silent on the subject.Satisfied, he leaned back and waved his hands, indicating that he had no other problems. The excitable little man mentioned earlier leaned forward at once, and started asking questions without hesitation. "What time did you open the doors and windows in the morning?" "About six o'clock, sir." "Could anyone have left the house after that without your knowledge?" Thomas glanced anxiously at his companion, but immediately replied without hesitation: "I don't think anyone can leave the house after six o'clock without me or the cook knowing. There can't be anyone in broad daylight." Jump from the window on the second floor. As for going out from the door, the loud bang when the front door closed can be heard from the top to the bottom of the house. When going out from the back door, you must pass the kitchen window when you walk through the backyard , as long as you pass the window, the cook will see it. I can swear it." He glanced half sarcasticly, half maliciously at the cook with a round blushing face. Obviously, the two of them had quarreled over trivial matters such as rice, oil and salt in the kitchen. His answer deepened the ominous premonition in everyone's heart, and the effect of his words was obvious.The house is locked and no one has been seen leaving!Clearly, we are not far from finding the killer. The jury member sat in his chair with increasing agitation and looked around sharply.He saw the renewed interest in the faces of the people around him, and he was reluctant to ask more questions to diminish the impact of his last testimony, so he collected himself, leaned back comfortably, and gave the stage to others who wanted to ask questions.But it seemed that no one was ready to ask questions. Thomas finally couldn't hold back, looked at everyone respectfully and asked, "Is there any other gentleman who wants to ask questions?" No one answered.So he breathed a sigh of relief, and glanced at the other servants hastily.Just as everyone was amazed at the sudden change in his expression, he withdrew with indescribably quick steps and evident satisfaction. The next witness is none other than a man I just met this morning, Mr. Harwell.Harwell's importance as Mr. Leavenworth's secretary and right-hand man was so indescribable that my misgivings about Thomas's last behavior were immediately forgotten by his presence. Havel walked forward with a calm and firm attitude, as if understanding that a person's life and death may be determined by the words that are spoken.He stood before the jury with as much dignity as possible.For a man who had not been very pleasing to me this morning, I am at this moment surprised by his admirable demeanor.There is nothing unique about his face or appearance, and his pale and ordinary features, well-combed hair, and clean mustache are all common and easily recognizable appearances.On this occasion, there was also a self-restraint in his gesture which made up for the expressiveness in his expression.His face is not striking, in fact, there is really nothing remarkable about him, you can see a thousand of them on Broadway every day-unless you are specifically looking for a focused and dignified visage, and this one People feel this way all over their bodies.His solemnity was nothing special on today's occasion, but if that was his usual expression, then his life might have more sorrow than joy, more caution and anxiety than joy. The coroner's expression was as if nothing had happened, and it could not be seen that he was dealing with any major case.He was not polite, and immediately spoke and questioned. "your name?" "James Truman Harwell." "Your job?" "I have been Mr. Leavenworth's personal secretary and clerical assistant for the past eight months." "You were the last person to see Mr. Leavenworth in his lifetime?" The young man raised his head proudly. "Of course not, because I wasn't the one who killed him." This answer seemed to make a big deal out of a molehill, which suddenly made the atmosphere tense.There was a murmur of disapproval in the room, and James Havel lost the admiration he had won for his former demeanor and firm eyes.He seemed to be aware of this too, so he raised his head even higher. "I mean," said the coroner, visibly annoyed at his jumpy reply, "that you were the last person to see him before he was assassinated by unknown persons?" The secretary hugged his hands to his chest, whether it was to hide the sudden trembling, or to give himself more time to think, I can't judge. "Sir," he finally answered, "I have no way of saying yes or no. Perhaps I may well be the last to see him in good health and mind, but in such a large house I cannot even I can't be sure about everything." Then, he noticed the dissatisfied faces of the people around him, so he slowly added, "It's my duty to see him at night." "Your job? Oh, because you're his secretary, aren't you?" He nodded heavily. "Mr. Harwell," continued the coroner, "in this country, where a private secretary is not a common occupation, would you please explain to us your duties? In short, what Mr. Leavenworth requires of you?" assistance? How did he hire you?" "Of course. As you may know, Mr. Leavenworth is a man of great wealth and connections with societies, clubs, institutions, etc., and is, besides, a well-known generous man, receiving many letters every day, among which Some are asking for help. My duty is to open and answer letters. There will be a mark on his personal letters to show the difference from other letters. But this is not all my job content. He was engaged in the tea trade in his early years. Therefore, he had the opportunity to sail to China more than once, and he was very interested in the communication between the two countries. From the experience of visiting China several times, he learned a lot, so he thought that if he could share his personal experience with Americans, It can let the people of the country know more about this country, including its characteristics and how to deal with it, etc. He is taking some time to write a book on this topic. In the past eight months, I have assisted him in preparing materials, and I have drawn three books a day hour to write what he dictated. The last hour is usually from nine-thirty to ten-thirty in the evening. Mr. Leavenworth is a very regular person, accustomed to arrange himself and his side in the most precise way people's lives." "You said that he usually dictates to you to take notes at night, so did he do it as usual last night?" "Yes, sir." "Can you tell us about his attitude and expression last night, is there any difference from usual?" The secretary frowned. "He has no ability to predict his own death, why did his expression and attitude change?" The coroner sees an opportunity for revenge for the secretary's previous disrespect.He said sternly: "The job of a witness is to answer questions, not to comment on them." The secretary blushed, and the two evened out. "Well, sir. If Mr. Leavenworth had any premonitions of his own death, he did not let me know. On the contrary, he seemed more absorbed in his work than usual. The last words he said to me were: 'A month Then we can get the book out, can't we, Truman?' I especially remember that line because he was pouring himself a drink. He usually has a glass before bed and I quit The last task before me was to get him the sherry from the cupboard, and my hand was on the door-knob, and I replied, 'I do hope so, Mr. Leavenworth. ''And how about a glass of wine with me, then?' he said, asking me to get another glass from the cupboard. I did, and he poured it for me. I'm not usually a big fan of sherry, but it was nice to be there I drank the glass in the midst of the atmosphere. I remember being a little embarrassed because Mr. Leavenworth had only had a half glass himself. It was half full when we found him this morning." Such a silent and self-controlled person seemed to be more eager to hide his emotions than ordinary people, but at this moment, fear emerged for the first time.He took a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped his forehead. "That was Mr. Leavenworth's last gesture, gentlemen. When he put the glass back on the table, I bade him good night and left the room." The coroner, aware of displays of emotion, leaned back and watched the young man carefully. "And then? Where did you go?" "My own room." "Did you meet anyone during this time?" "No, sir." "Or saw or heard something unusual?" The secretary lowered his voice slightly. "No, sir." "Mr. Harwell, please think again. Can you really swear that you saw no one, heard no noise, and don't remember anything out of the ordinary?" His expression became a little distressed.He opened his mouth twice but hesitated to speak.At last he answered with difficulty: "I saw one thing, a small thing, too small to be worth mentioning, but when you spoke just now, I couldn't help thinking about it." "What's up?" "There's a door ajar." "Whose door?" "Miss Eleanor's door." His voice was a whisper. "Where were you when you found out about this?" "I don't remember very well. Perhaps it was at my own door, for I didn't stop halfway. If this dreadful thing had not happened, I fear I should never remember this little thing again." "Did you close the door when you entered?" "Closed, sir." "When do you go to bed?" "immediately." "Did you ever hear any sound before falling asleep?" The ambiguous hesitation reappeared. "Almost none." "Are there footsteps in the hall?" "I may have heard footsteps." "Have it?" "I can't swear that there is." "You think you heard that?" "Yes, I think so. Well, I was just about to fall asleep when I heard voices, footsteps and rustling in the hall, but it wasn't particularly impressive, and then I went to sleep. caught." "Then?" "I don't know how long it took before I woke up. I woke up suddenly. It seemed that something alarmed me, but I couldn't tell what the sound or movement was. I remember getting up on the bed and looking around, but there was no news. Any sound, and then drowsiness came back, and I soon fell into a deep sleep again, and didn't wake up until morning." The coroner then asked him when and how he learned of the murder, and he confirmed the butler's earlier account.The coroner had nothing to ask on that point, so he asked him whether he had noticed anything on the study table after the body had been removed. "Noted more or less, yes, sir." "What's on the table?" "Ordinary things, such as books, paper, a pen with a dry tip, next to the glass and bottle he drank from last night." "Is there anything else?" "I don't remember anything else." "The bottle and glass," put in the juror, wearing watch and chain, "didn't you say that Mr. Leavenworth was sitting in his study when you left him, and that the glass was in the state in which it was later found? Same as when you left?" "Yes, sir, that's right." "Is he in the habit of drinking a full glass?" "Yes, sir." "Mr. Harwell, something must have happened immediately after you left to break up his drinking." Javier's young face suddenly turned blue.He moved involuntarily, and seemed to have a terrible idea for a moment. "That's not quite right, sir," he said with difficulty, "Mr. Leavenworth may..." He stopped abruptly, as if distracted, unable to go on. "Go on, Mr. Harwell, what do you want to say, let us listen." "No." His answer was weak, as if wrestling with intense emotion. Since he was not answering questions, but offering explanations automatically, the coroner stopped asking.But the coroner saw several pairs of eyes looking around suspiciously, and it seemed that many of those present felt that there was some kind of clue to be drawn from his mood.Ignoring his mood and the commotion, the coroner went on to ask: "Did you leave the key to the study where it was when you left last night?" "I don't know, sir, I didn't notice." "According to your presumption, the key is in its place?" "I think so." "And the door was locked in the morning, but the key disappeared?" "Yes, sir." "So it seems that the murderer locked the door when he went out and took the key with him?" "I guess so." The coroner turned and faced the jury gravely. "Gentlemen," said he, "there seems to be a mystery hidden in this key, and it is necessary to study it." Immediately there were murmurs one after another throughout the room, proving that all the people present agreed with him.The diminutive juror immediately stood up and suggested that a search should be carried out immediately, but the coroner turned to look at him with a look of "take it easy" on his face, and decided that the questioning should proceed in the usual way until the oral testimony was completed. "In that case, please allow me to ask a question," he said again while chasing after him, "Mr. Harwell, we heard that when you broke in this morning, two of Mr. Leavenworth's nieces followed you in." into the study." "Only one of them, sir, is Miss Eleanor." "Miss Elinor is said to be Mr. Leavenworth's sole heir, is she not?" interposed the coroner. "No, sir, it should be Miss Mary." "She ordered the body to be moved to another room, didn't she?" the juror continued. "Yes, sir." "You were ordered to help carry the body, didn't you?" "Yes, sir." "When moving the corpse through these rooms, did you notice any clues left by the suspected murderer?" The secretary shook his head. "Nothing suspicious," he emphasized. I don't quite believe his words.Whether it's the tone of voice or the way he clutches his cuffs—because hands are often more revealing than expressions—I don't think his words are reliable. "I would like to ask Mr. Harwell a question," said one of the jurors, who had not spoken before. "We have heard the details of the discovery of the victim, and there must be some motive behind the murder. Does the Secretary know that Leavenworth Has Mr. Zi ever had any personal feuds with anyone?" "I have no idea." "Do all the people in this house get along well with him?" "Yes, sir." There was a hint of negation in the determined words. "As far as you know, there is really no unpleasantness between him and other people here?" "I wouldn't say that," he answered, rather despondently. "Unpleasantness is hard to tell. Maybe there's a little bit of..." He hesitated for a while. "Sir, with one of his nieces." "Who?" He raised his head defiantly again. "Miss Eleanor." "When did this unpleasant feeling start?" "I can't tell." "You don't know why?" "have no idea." "I don't know how unpleasant it is?" "I don't know, sir." "Were you responsible for opening Mr. Leavenworth's letters?" "yes." "Is the recent letter any help in understanding this unpleasant incident?" In fact, he never seemed to want to answer. Is he considering the way to answer, or has he secretly made a decision? "Mr. Harwell, did you hear the jurors?" inquired the coroner. "Yes, sir. I'm thinking." "Very well, answer quickly." "Sir," he replied, turning and looking directly at the jurors.As soon as he turned around, I could see his unaffected left hand. "For the past two weeks, I have opened Mr. Leavenworth's letters as usual, but I can't recall how the contents have anything to do with this tragedy." He was lying, and I saw right away.He clenched his hands tightly, and he hesitated for a while before he made up his mind to lie.I see it all. "Even if, in your judgment, Mr. Harwell, the above statement is true," said the coroner, "we shall still have to search Mr. Leavenworth's letters in full for evidence." "Of course," he answered casually, "it is necessary." Mr. Harwell's round of interrogation ends here.As he sat down, I noted four things. First, Mr. Harwell himself, for some unknown reason, noticed a suspicious point, and he eagerly eliminated such a thought from his mind. Secondly, a woman was involved in the case, and Mr. Harwell heard some slight noises and footsteps in the room. Third, there is a letter sent here. If it can be found, it will definitely help the case. In the end, when he said Eleanor's name, it was difficult to say. It was obvious that this calm man would show some emotion every time he had to say this name.

---

Notes: