"With respect, sir," Lieutenant Murray interrupted, "there are elements of this investigation with which you are not familiar. I would ask that you defer to my judgement for the time being." The policeman's tone was even and deferential, but there was no mistaking the core of iron.
Hendricks studied Lieutenant Murray's face for a moment and saw that it was pointless to argue. "I just don't understand the point of detaining Mr. Graff, that's all," he said, sitting down beside his wife. "He's a harmless old man."
My brother had been silent during this exchange. Now he rose from his contemplation of the floor and carefully brushed at the knees of his trousers. "'I have completed my examination of the carpet," he announced.
"Have you?" Lieutenant Murray turned to face my brother, his lips pressed together in amusement.
"I am prepared to announce my conclusions," Harry continued.
"Your conclusions?" The lieutenant was smiling broadly now. "Look, Mr. Houdini, as I said before, we just want you to show us how the automaton works." "I will do so, of course. At the same time, I will also demonstrate that Josef Graff had nothing whatever to do with Mr. Wintour's death."
"I beg your pardon?"
"Josef Graff had nothing whatever to do with Mr. Wintour's death. He may have sold Le Fantфme to the dead man, but he is completely innocent of any wrongdoing. I promise you that on my mother's life."
"And how can you be so certain of that?"
"Because Le Fantфme did not kill Branford Wintour."
All traces of amusement drained from Lieutenant Murray's face. His eyes became very still, the way a terrier's will when he's about to take a chunk out of your hand. "May I ask how you arrived at that conclusion, Mr. Houdini?"
"Because there is no red dot," said my brother.
Dr. Peterson, the police physician, perked up at this. "No blood, you mean? There was a bit, if you looked closely, but the puncture wasn't deep enough to cause any serious bleeding."
Dr. Blanton, Mr. Wintour's friend, nodded his head in vigorous agreement. "In some cases, the poison need not even enter the bloodstream directly. The smallest scratch is sufficient to-"
"I did not mean blood," Harry said. "I refer to a red dot of a very different kind. A red dot that only Houdini would think to look for. I have made an exhaustive search, gentlemen, and there is no red dot on the body, or on the floor, or on the desk."
Lieutenant Murray locked his hands behind his back. "I think you'll have to explain yourself for us, Mr. Houdini."
"Of course," my brother said, warming to the role. "You and your men cannot be faulted if you are slow to grasp this. It is a matter where only the rarefied knowledge of Houdini can be of service."
"Uh, Harry-?" I began.
"That's all right," Lieutenant Murray said to me. "Please, Mr. Houdini, we'd be ever so grateful if you could put us on the right track here." He held up his hands for silence. "Boys? Could I ask you to stop with all this unnecessary police work for a moment? It seems our visitor here has stumbled upon the solution to our little problem, and I think we should all give him our attention."
There was general laughter from the men in uniform, and even Mr. Hendricks and Dr. Blanton appeared amused. A lesser man might have resented the lieutenant's facetious tone. Harry, with his steel-plated vanity, did not notice. Instead, he puffed out his chest and smoothed his lapels, a gesture he invariably made when he was about to take the stage.
"Thank you, Lieutenant Murray," he said. "I must first correct a misstatement in the lieutenant's kind introduction. I do not claim to have solved the murder." A ripple of mock protest went up among the officers. "No, no," Harry said. "I only wish to demonstrate that Le Fantфme is blameless. You see, when you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth."
He surveyed the group of young officers. “First, I will need a volunteer from the audience. You, sir"-he pointed to a strapping patrolman-"may I prevail upon you to join me here at the front of the desk?"
The officer received a desultory round of applause as he stepped forward.
Harry reached into his pocket. "Your name is-? Robbins? Very good. Now, Mr. Robbins, I hold here in my hands a perfectly ordinary pack of playing cards-" Lieutenant Murray gave a loud cough. "Look here, Houdini-"
I put a hand on his arm to restrain him. "Give him three minutes," I said in a low whisper. "He's on to something."
He gave me a look that suggested I had just staked my life on the fact.
"Officer Robbins," Harry continued, "will you examine the cards and confirm that they are all different? You may shuffle them, if you like." Grinning nervously, the young patrolman gave the cards an awkward shuffle. "Thank you," said Harry. "Now I will ask you to deal five cards off the top. Do you see the five ivory tiles in front of Le Fantфme? I want you to place one card face down on top of each tile."
Robbins bent over the desk, biting his lower lip as he dealt out the five cards.
"Very good," said Harry. "Now, while my back is turned, select one of the five cards and show it to the aud-to the other gentlemen."
Robbins lifted a card-the five of clubs-off the desk and held it up for inspection.
"Now replace the card," Harry continued, "but remember what it was. You are finished now? Excellent. Now, with the help of Le Fantфme, I shall attempt to locate the card you selected."
"See here, Houdini," said Lieutenant Murray, "you can't tamper with that thing-it killed a man tonight."
"I assure you it did not." "Besides, there's no key to turn it on."
"It does not require a key," Harry said. "Observe." He stretched his finger across the desk and depressed a glass bead on the figure's headdress. We heard a faint click, and slowly the tiny figure stirred. In spite of himself, Lieutenant Murray watched in fascination as the cross-legged figure slowly moved its head from side to side, as if studying the five cards spread out before it. We heard a soft creak as Le Fantфme''s left arm bent and its hand rose to stroke its temple, as though lost in contemplation. Abruptly, the figure's head snapped upward and its mouth opened in a crude simulation of a smile. I cannot claim that it was a pleasant smile. In fact, it was downright spooky. Then the left arm straightened and pointed to the middle card in the row of five.
From the Chesterfield, Mrs. Hendricks began applauding at the apparent conclusion of the effect. Her husband and Dr. Blanton joined in, as did a handful of the policemen. Le Fantфme nodded its head as if to acknowledge the applause.
"You see?" Harry cried. "It is a harmless trick, a simple effect with cards. Officer Robbins, you may now turn over the card that Le Fantфme has indicated. It is the card you selected, is it not?"
Robbins looked at the card, hesitated, and looked again. "Uh, no, sir," he said. "I picked the five of clubs. This is the nine of diamonds."
"What? Impossible!" Harry darted forward and snatched the card from the patrolman's hand, glaring at it with undisguised annoyance. "This cannot be!" He winced at the sound of sniggering from the back of the room. "Le Fantфme is foolproof! Possibly its workings have become fouled through the years of disrepair, or perhaps I failed to-"
We never learned what Harry might have failed to do. Throughout his tirade, a remarkable change had come over Le Fantфme. Unseen by Harry, who had his back to the desk, the automaton stirred to life once again. This time, its right hand-which held the tiny bamboo tube- rose from the folds of its robe. With a swift, sure movement, the figure raised the tube to its lips in the manner of a blow gun. Lieutenant Murray gave a cry of warning and hurled himself across the desk at my brother. The pair of them crashed to the floor just as some ten or twelve of New York's finest dove for cover.