mentioned having already spoken to Sir Eustace about them as the possible cause of his illness.
This the inspector already knew. He had spent the time before Bendix came round in interviewing such people as had come into contact with him since his return to the club that afternoon. He had heard the porter's story and he had taken steps to trace the taxi - man; he had spoken with the members who had gathered round Bendix in the lounge, and Sir Eustace had reported to him the remark of Bendix about the chocolates.
The inspector had not attached very much importance to this at the moment, but simply as a matter of routine had questioned Sir Eustace closely as to the whole episode and, again as a matter of routine, had afterwards rummaged through the waste - paper basket and extricated the wrapper and the covering - letter. Still as a matter of routine, and still not particularly impressed, he now proceeded to question Bendix on the same topic, and then at last began to realise its significance as he heard how the two had shared the chocolates after lunch and how, even before Bendix had left home, the wife had eaten more than the husband.
The doctor now intervened, and the inspector had to leave the sick - room. His first action was to telephone to his colleague at the Bendix home and tell him to take possession without delay of the box of chocolates which was probably still in the drawing - room; at the same time he asked for a rough idea of the number of chocolates that were missing. The other told him, nine or ten. The inspector, who on Bendix's information had only accounted for six or seven, rang off and telephoned what he had learnt to Scotland Yard.
Interest was now centred on the chocolates. They were taken to Scotland Yard that evening, and sent off at once to be analysed.
'Well, the doctor hadn't been far wrong,' said Moresby. 'The poison in those chocolates wasn't oil of bitter almonds as a matter of fact, it was nitro - benzene; but I understand that isn't so very different. If any of you ladies or gentlemen have a knowledge of chemicals, you'll know more about the stuff than I do, but I believe it's used occasionally in the cheaper sorts of confectionery (less than it used to be, though) to give an almond - flavour as a substitute for oil of bitter almonds, which I needn't tell you is a powerful poison too. But the most usual way of employing nitrobenzene commercially is in the manufacture of aniline dyes.'
When the analyst's preliminary report came through Scotland Yard's initial theory of accidental death was strengthened. Here definitely was a poison used in the manufacture of chocolates and other sweets. A terrible mistake must have been made. The firm had been employing the stuff as a cheap substitute for genuine liqueurs and too much of it had been used. The fact that the only liqueurs named on the silver wrappings were Maraschino, Kummel and Kirsch, all of which carry a greater or lesser flavour of almonds, supported this conception.
But before the firm was approached by the police for an explanation, other facts had come to light. It was found that only the top layer of chocolates contained any poison. Those in the lower layer were completely free from anything harmful. Moreover in the lower layer the fillings inside the chocolate cases corresponded with the description on the wrappings, whereas in the top layer, besides the poison, each sweet contained a blend of the three liqueurs mentioned and not, for instance, plain Maraschino and poison. It was further remarked that no Maraschino, Kirsch or Kummel was to be found in the two lower layers.
The interesting fact also emerged, in the analyst's detailed report, that each chocolate in the top layer contained, in addition to its blend of the three liqueurs, exactly six minims of nitrobenzene, no more and no less. The cases were a fair size and there was plenty of room for quite a considerable quantity of the liqueur - blend besides this fixed quantity of poison. This was significant. Still more so was the further fact that in the bottom of each of the noxious chocolates there were distinct traces of a hole having been drilled in the case and subsequently plugged up with a piece of melted chocolate.
It was now plain to the police that foul play was in question.
A deliberate attempt had been made to murder Sir Eustace Pennefather. The would - be murderer had acquired a box of Mason's chocolate liqueurs; separated those in which a flavour of almonds would not come amiss; drilled a small hole in each and drained it of its contents; injected, probably with a fountain - pen filler, the dose of poison; filled the cavity up from the mixture of former fillings; carefully stopped the hole, and re - wrapped it in its silver - paper covering. A meticulous business, meticulously carried out.
The covering letter and wrapper which had arrived with the box of chocolates now became of paramount importance, and the inspector who had had the foresight to rescue these from destruction had occasion to pat himself on the back. Together with the box itself and the remaining chocolates, they formed the only material dues to this cold - blooded murder.
Taking them with him, the Chief Inspector now in charge of the case called on the managing director of Mason and Sons, and without informing him of the circumstances as to how it had come into his possession, laid the letter before him and invited him to explain certain points in connection with it. How many of these (the managing director was asked) had been sent out, who knew of this one, and who could have had a chance of handling the box that was sent to Sir Eustace?
If the police had hoped to surprise Mr. Mason, the result was nothing compared with the way in which Mr. Mason surprised the police.
'Well, sir?' prompted the Chief Inspector, when it seemed as if Mr. Mason would go on examining the letter all day.
Mr. Mason adjusted his glasses to the angle for examining Chief Inspectors instead of letters. He was a small, rather fierce, elderly man who had begun life in a back street in Huddersfield, and did not intend any one to forget it.
'Where the devil did you get this?' he asked. The papers it must be remembered, had not yet got hold of the sensational aspect of Mrs. Bendix's death.
' I came,' replied the Chief Inspector with dignity, 'to ask you about your sending it out, sir, not tell you about my getting hold of it.'
'Then you can go to the devil,' replied Mr. Mason with decision. 'And take Scotland Yard with you,' he added, by way of a comprehensive afterthought.
'I must warn you, sir,' said the Chief Inspector, somewhat taken aback but concealing the fact beneath his weightiest manner, 'I must warn you that it may be a serious matter for you to refuse to answer my questions.'
Mr. Mason, it appeared, was exasperated rather than intimidated by this covert threat. 'Get out o' ma office,' he replied in his native tongue. 'Are ye druffen, man? Or do ye just think you're funny? Ye know as well as I do that that letter was never sent out from 'ere.'
It was then that the Chief Inspector became surprised. 'Not - not sent out by your firm at all?' he hammered. It was a possibility that had not occurred to him. 'It's - forged, then?'
'Isn't that what I'm telling ye?' growled the old man, regarding him fiercely from under bushy brows. But the Chief Inspector's evident astonishment had mollified him somewhat.
'Sir,' said that official, 'I must ask you to be good enough to answer my questions as fully as possible. It's a case of murder I'm investigating, and' - he paused and thought cunningly - 'and the murderer seems to have been making free use of your business to cloak his operations.'
The cunning of the Chief Inspector prevailed. 'The devil 'e 'as!' roared the old man. 'Damn the blackguard. Ask any question thou wants, lad; I'll answer right enough.'
Communication thus being established, the Chief Inspector proceeded to get to grips.
During the next five minutes his heart sank lower and lower. In place of the simple case he had anticipated it became rapidly plain to him that the affair was going to be very difficult indeed. Hitherto he had thought (and his superiors had agreed with him) that the case was going to prove one of sudden temptation. Somebody in the Mason firm had a grudge against Sir Eustace. Into his (or more probably, as the Chief Inspector had considered, her) hands had fallen the box and letter addressed to him. The opportunity had been obvious, the means, in the shape of nitrobenzene in use in the factory, ready to hand; the result had followed. Such a culprit would be easy enough to trace.
But now, it seemed, this pleasant theory must be abandoned, for in the first place no such letter as this had ever been sent out at all; the firm had produced no new brand of chocolates, if they had done so it was not their custom to dispense sample boxes among private individuals, the letter was a forgery. But the notepaper on the other hand (and this was the only remnant left to support the theory) was perfectly genuine, so far as the old man could tell. He could not say for certain, but was almost sure that this was a piece of old stock which had been finished up about six months ago. The heading might be forged, but he did not think so.
'Six months ago?' queried the Inspector unhappily.
