," Pope said. "Finklestein has a big
hand and very broad fingers. The fellow who made these prints has a
little hand with thin fingers. The whorls and loops are entirely
dissimilar. He comes under classification 2-4-X. Finklestein is in
cabinet 2-9-0. They couldn't be further away."

Drew started out through the doorway with Fosdick following him. They
stood on the landing leading to the downstairs steps, where the
detective was about to leave the commissioner with a curt good-by. His
hand was out when he drew it back, dropped it to his side and wheeled
with sudden intuition.

"Good Lord!" he exclaimed. "Are you and I detectives or children? Come
back to the fingerprint room. Hurry now. I want to see Pope. I forgot
something!"

The expert rose as they entered. "Well?" he asked with arching brows
and a slight frown on his face. "Well, what is it?"

Drew pointed a finger as steady as a rifle. He bared his eyes into
Pope's own. "Were you up to Stockbridge's house?" he asked swiftly.

"Yes! Why?"

"Did you take prints and photos of everything in the library? I
understand that this was done after I turned the case over to
Commissioner Fosdick."

"It was done!" rasped Fosdick. "Of course it was done. It's always done
when a case looks like a homicide!"

"This case looked worse than that!" said Drew. "It was slaughter!"

The commissioner turned to the fingerprint man. "Where are the prints
and photos you took up at the house?" he asked.

"Still in the developing room."

"Do you think they are developed?"

"I'll soon know, sir," he answered, pressing a button.

The messenger entered who had attended to Drew's prints which the
detective took in the telephone-booth.

"Get down to the developing room," ordered Pope. "Get me all the prints
and positives of Exhibit 12 of the Stockbridge case. Bring what is
already developed. Tell them to rush the others."

The three men waited in silence for the return of the messenger. Drew
paced the floor thoughtfully. He clasped and unclasped his hands behind
his back. He had almost slipped in an important matter. It was a chance
he was taking, but a vital one in the case. The fingerprints taken by
the expert in the library might and might not jibe with those taken in
the slot-booth. If they were the same, or any one was the same, the
case would offer a new line for investigation.

A sliding footstep at the door announced the messenger. He held a
sheath of curling papers in h