"They have... tabs... upon
them... Mrs. Leroux... number 3 B. The door to the stair"--very, very
slowly, he inclined his head toward the ebony door near which Max was
standing--"is marked X. The door... at the top--into garage... B."
"Tell me," said Max, his arm about the dying man's shoulders--"try to
tell me: who killed Mrs. Vernon and why?"
"MR. KING!" came in a rattling voice. "Because of the... carelessness
of someone... Mrs. Vernon wandered into the room ... of Mrs. Leroux. She
seems to have had a fit of remorse... or something like it. She begged
Mrs. Leroux to pull up... before... too late. Ho-Pin arrived just as she
was crying to ... Mrs. Leroux... and asking if she could ever forgive
her ... for bringing her here.... It was Mrs. Vernon who... introduced
Mrs.... Leroux. Ho-Pin heard her... say that she ... would tell...
Leroux the truth... as the only means"...
"Yes, yes, morbleu! I understand! And then?"
"Ho-Pin knows... women... like a book. He thought Mrs. Vernon would...
shirk the scandal. We used to send our women ... to Nurse Proctor's,
then... to steady up a bit... We let Mrs. Vernon go... as usual. The
scene with... Mrs. Leroux had shaken... her and she fainted... in the
car... Victoria Street.... I was with her.
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