he pistol and the
needle. It was unquestionably his intention to fire a second shot into
the wound but first it was necessary to open it and he did so at great
pain. He died, whether from shock or weakness, before his hand was able
to reach the pistol on his desk. Had he been able to accomplish what was
in his mind, his clerks would have heard the shot, the authorities would
have found the pistol and the conclusion of suicide would have been
accepted without question."

"Did you see the physician who attended him?" interjected the coroner.

"Yes," replied Britz, "but I couldn't get a word out of him, and under
the law I could not force him to tell."

"But the clothing--his underwear would have shown where the blood had
dried," the coroner declared.

"Whitmore attended to that," replied Britz. "The moment he opened the
wound he permitted the fresh blood to stain the underwear. You see, with
the exception of his overcoat he wore the same clothing he had on when
he was shot."

Having established the time when the assassin fired the bullet into
Whitmore's body, Britz laid aside the picture and the needle and turned
savagely on Luckstone.

"Now, sir!" he exclaimed, bringing his fist down on the table. "That
disposes of your alibis! You had arranged them very craftily after the
shooting--all four of your clients spent the morning where disinterested
witnesses could see them. The very fact of their being compelled to
supply themselves with alibis proves their guilty knowledge of the
crime."

Luckstone was too experienced an attorney not to be prepared to meet any
new turn which the case might take. Besides, the coroner's attitude
seemed to be antagonistic to the police, and the lawyer resolved not to
abandon hope of having the entire matter disposed of at the present
hearing.

"It doesn't matter a particle to my clients when Mr. Whitmore was shot,"
he said, adopting an attitude of indifference. "Since I have entered on
a defense, I might as well proceed with it and end the terrible
uncertainty and annoyance which they have suffered."

The lawyer left his seat and stood facing Britz, ready to meet any new
evidence which the detective had to offer.

"This is what occurred on the night before Mr. Whitmore's death," he
proceeded. "Mr. Whitmore arrived home after a long business trip. He
communicated with Mrs. Collins and was informed that she, her husband,
Ward and Miss Burden had engaged a box at the opera. They went