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"They began droppin' in about eleven o'clock." "And where was you about two or three hours before that?" "I was home in my apartment." "Anybody with you there during that time?" Smith wet his lips. His features had become drawn. He was a long time answering this question. Finally he shook his head. "I don't remember." "Oh, you don't remember, huh. Well, 'Fingy, you'd better remember.
You don't know how important it is for you to remember that little thing, 'Fingy'." He walked close to the prisoner and stood huge, bulging and threatening over him. "Do you recognize this?" He held out a small nail file wrapped in tissue. The prisoner looked at it. He was now very much ill at ease. "What do you mean, do I recognize it?" "Did you ever see this before, 'Fingy'?"
"It is not a mere coincidence that Boyle was arrested, charged with the killing of Miller and 'Fingy' Smith arrested, charged with the killing of Schurman. It was a vital part of the entire devilish pattern. Miller's death was a splendid imitation of suicide. The revolver was placed in his hand before rigor mortis set in leaving his fingerprints on the weapon.
Smith; I have no further questions to ask. I should be glad, however, to stay here and " Conners turned to the prisoner savagely. His apparent good humor was gone. This was the kind of business he understood; he was at home cross-examining prisoners. He would show Professor Brierly how to make a crook wilt. "'Fingy, where was you on the night of July third and early mornin' July fourth?"
He sprang from his chair and tore off his coat and vest. Conners had also sprung to his feet, but subsided when he saw that the prisoner did not contemplate violence. The prisoner in his haste to unbutton his outer shirt, ripped the buttons. He exposed his arm high up near the shoulder. He showed a ragged scar several days old. 'Fingy' continued: "See this, Professor?
"Couldn't come up to-morrow, so thought we'd do it to-night." Philip heard the closing of a door, and footsteps crunched in the snow close to his ears. "Love o' God!" came the voice again. "What's this you've brought them up in, Fingy?" "Coffin box, sir.
Alphonse Poller was the brilliant scientist who devised this method of taking impressions and making models. He called it 'moulage. The word is used either as a verb or a noun. "Off hand, I should say that 'Fingy' Smith's teeth will not fit into the marks made in this apple. When the plaster model comes up here we will see." "What of it?" belligerently protested Conners.
The monologue was cut short by the entrance of the prisoner who was chained to a burly headquarters man, accompanied by another officer in civil clothes. 'Fingy' Smith was a small, dark man who greeted the assembly cheerfully. Professor Brierly looked at him curiously. The little finger on his left hand, was missing; it had been shot away in a brawl. The lobe of his left ear was also missing.
The prisoner wrinkled his brow in thought. He had regained his composure entirely, although he was not now in the jovial mood he presented when he came in. "The night of July third? Lemme see." His brows drew together. "Well, that night, I was givin' a little party to some friends in me apartment." "Who all was there, 'Fingy'?"
They had not left Le Pas more than two hours behind when the sledge stopped again and Philip saw a few scattered lights a short distance away. "Must be Wekusko," he thought. "Hello, what's that?" A voice came sharply from the opposite side of the box. "Is that you, Fingy?" it demanded. "What the devil have you got there?" "Your maps and things, sir," replied Fingy hoarsely.
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