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James Edward Muddock. A Detective's Triumphs
A Detective's Triumphs
Table of Contents
I. — THE MYSTERY OF SURGEON-MAJOR PALMER
II. — IN A SMUGGLER'S DEN
III. — TRACKED BY A FOOTPRINT. THE STORY OF A STRANGE MURDER
IV. — THE STORY OF A DARING DEED
V. — THE GREAT RUBY ROBBERY
VI. — BREAKING UP A GANG OF DESPERADOES
VII. — TRAPPING A THIEF-TRAINER
VIII. — A PRECIOUS PAIR OF SCOUNDRELS
IX. — THE SHADOWER SHADOWED. A REMINISCENCE
X. — CAUGHT IN A TRAP. A THRILLING EXPERIENCE
XI. — THE ABDUCTION
THE END
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James Edward Muddock
Published by Good Press, 2021
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Most certainly, as appearances went then, the affair was a very complicated puzzle, and it was necessary to define some reasonable hypothesis to account for the motive of the murder. That motive was not robbery. That was placed beyond doubt by all the property on Dr. Palmer's body being intact—his ring's, a diamond scarf-pin, his massive and very valuable gold chronometer and chain, and his money, £20 being found in his pocket. The idea of robbery, therefore, had to be put on one side. And that being so, the next likeliest motive was revenge, and till I saw reason to change my views I determined to look upon revenge as the actuating cause which had led to the dark deed being committed. As a logical sequence of this view, it followed that the person guilty of the deed must have been pretty well acquainted with the Doctor's habits. He must have known that he was in the habit of going to look at his sick horse the last thing before retiring. And on the night of the crime he knew, no doubt, that his victim was making merry—that his victim's guests were in a state when they would probably all sleep soundly. And so the murderer lay concealed in the paddock during the solemn hours of the night, and with no mortal eye, save that of the poor old horse, to witness the foul deed, he slew the unfortunate man. All these points, if in any way correct, pointed to the murderer as being one of the household of that night. Either one of the guests or one of the servants. I need scarcely say I kept this thought strictly to myself.
Not the least remarkable circumstance in connection with this mystery was Lilian Aitkin's dream. That she did so dream seemed evident, because she had told Mrs. Challoner before it was known that the Doctor had not slept in his bed, and Mrs. Challoner had told the other servants. Necessarily I asked myself if this dream was the effect of foreknowledge, or the result of causes that could not be determined by ordinary laws? But if it was the effect of foreknowledge, the girl must have been worse than a fool to tell her dream, as it was calculated to place her in a somewhat unenviable position. I inclined to the belief that there was no foreknowledge, because, had Lilian known that the murder was to be committed, she surely would never have been so weak-brained as to say she Lad dreamed about it, for what possible purpose was there to serve in so doing? Nevertheless, I determined to look into the history of pretty Lilian Aitkin.
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