Ellery Queen - 1936 - Halfway House by Ellery Queen

Author:Ellery Queen [Queen, Ellery]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2012-01-15T12:09:02+00:00

“I say again: It is possible.”

“And these smudges are over Lucy Wilson’s prints?”

“Yes.”

“Indicating that some one handled that haft after she did?” The Frenchman showed his teeth again. “I cannot say that, sir. The smudges may have been caused by no human agency. If the knife had been wrapped loosely in tissue, for example, and placed in a box, and the box had received a shaking, the smudging may have so occurred.” Bill paced up and down. “You have also testified, Mr. Orleans, that Lucy Wilson’s prints on the haft were so grouped as to suggest she grasped the knife for a blow. Don’t you believe that pushes forward an unwarrantable conclusion?”

Orleans frowned. “I beg your pardon?”

“Might not a person pick up a knife merely to examine it and still leave such prints grouped as you found them?”

“Oh, naturally. I was merely exemplifying the nature of the grouping.”

“Then you cannot as an expert certainly say that Lucy Wilson used that knife for lethal purposes?”

“But of course I cannot. My concern is with the fact, sir. The fact you cannot change. The interpretation—” He shrugged.

As Bill walked away Pollinger leaped to his feet. “Mr. Orleans, you found Lucy Wilson’s prints on this knife?”

“Yes.”

“You have sat in this courtroom and heard it testified that the knife was purchased only the day before the crime by the victim himself, that it was found not in his Philadelphia home but in the shack in which he was murdered, in its original wrappings, with a gift card made out in the hand not of Lucy Wilson but of the victim, with—?”

“Object!” stormed Bill. “Object! This is not proper—”

“That’s all,” said Pollinger with a quiet smile. “Thank you, Mr.

Orleans. Your Honor,” he paused and drew a deep breath, “the State rests.”

Bill whirled and demanded a dismissal of the charges. But the testimony of the French fingerprint expert had completely changed the complexion of the case. Judge Menander refused.

Bill was flushed; he was very angry and breathing hard. “Your Honor, the defense requests an adjournment. The testimony of the last witness comes as a complete surprise. We have not had an opportunity to examine into the subject-matter of the testimony, and ask for one.”

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