Этюд в багровых тонах
The Conclusion.
WhentheinscriptionwasdiscovereduponthewallIwasmoreinclinedthanevertomyopinion. Thethingwastooevidentlyablind. Whentheringwasfound,however,itsettledthequestion. Clearlythemurdererhadusedittoremindhisvictimofsomedeadorabsentwoman. ItwasatthispointthatIaskedGregsonwhetherhehadenquiredinhistelegramtoClevelandastoanyparticularpointinMr.Drebber’sformercareer. Heanswered,youremember,inthenegative.
“Ithenproceededtomakeacarefulexaminationoftheroom,whichconfirmedmeinmyopinionastothemurderer’sheight,andfurnishedmewiththeadditionaldetailsastotheTrichinopolycigarandthelengthofhisnails. Ihadalreadycometotheconclusion,sincetherewerenosignsofastruggle,thatthebloodwhichcoveredthefloorhadburstfromthemurderer’snoseinhisexcitement. Icouldperceivethatthetrackofbloodcoincidedwiththetrackofhisfeet. Itisseldomthatanyman,unlessheisveryfull-blooded,breaksoutinthiswaythroughemotion,soIhazardedtheopinionthatthecriminalwasprobablyarobustandruddy-facedman. EventsprovedthatIhadjudgedcorrectly.
“Havingleftthehouse,IproceededtodowhatGregsonhadneglected. ItelegraphedtotheheadofthepoliceatCleveland,limitingmyenquirytothecircumstancesconnectedwiththemarriageofEnochDrebber. Theanswerwasconclusive.
