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[Music]

tonight detective radio brings you one

of the most legendary locked room

mysteries in detective fiction The

Hollow Man by John Dixon Carr featuring

Dr Gideon Fel The Eccentric yet

brilliant detective this classic tale

unravels a chilling web of deception

misdirection and illusion Can you spot

the hidden Clues before Dr fell reveals

the

truth if you think you've cracked the

case leave us a comment below and don't

forget to like subscribe and stay tuned

for more thrilling

[Music]

Mysteries take a deep breath Mr Mills

there's no need to be alarmed inspector

Headley is just trying to get the facts

absolutely clear all right doctor leave

it to me Mr Ms are you telling me this m

mysterious stranger just disappeared off

the face of the Earth I'm telling you

what happened inspector three of us saw

him the other two actually spoke to him

and a few minutes later this weird

looking man vanished ah and he's never

been seen since so he was weird looking

was he yes he was you see he was wearing

a mask a shiny pink mask the kind of

children we at parties and a black cap

pulled well down and a long black coat

with a collor turned up he pushed his

way into the study and and after that he

just disappeared Into Thin Air is that

all you can tell us you must have some

ideas about the man some Theory there's

only one idea that keeps occurring to me

though I'm trying to put it out of my

mind but I can't help wondering if

perhaps the murder was like the

Invisible Man in HG Well's story and

that if you took away the black cap and

the black coat and the false face inside

you might find nothing at all some

extracts from notes made by me Gideon F

on the night of Saturday February the

9th

1935 tell me something doctor do the

words the three coffins mean anything to

you I can't say they do is that where

the Story begins with three corpses or

are the three coffins empty that's what

I'd like to know but it's not where the

Story begins then I suggest you follow

the example of Alice and wonder then my

dear chap begin at the beginning and go

on till you get to the end then stop the

trouble is I'm not sure where or when

the story began it could have been a

long time ago but I know where it began

for boy Mangan in a little Pub just

around the corner from the British

museum a week ago and who is Boyd Mangan

do I know him not yet but I hope you

will he's a young Canadian newspaper man

working in London on the evening Banner

as a crime reporter that's how I I ran

across him well as I say young Mangan

was having a drink at the wari tavern

I've been there yes it's at it's in

museum Street that's a one now mangan's

got to know few of the regulars drinking

cronies who meet there once or twice a

week in the back room there's old

Burnaby the artist Professor greo who's

highly respected in academic circles I

understand and his secretary Stuart

Mills oh and a broken down next teacher

called Draymond who's employed as gmo's

librarian now Grio seems to be the

leader of the group he sits at the head

of the table with a glass of hot rum and

water holding forth on various Arcane

subjects like Witchcraft and black magic

and on this particular evening he got

around to

vampires do you ever read my article

gentlemen

gentlemen I must ask you to put your

questions one at a time if you please uh

now Mangan you were saying yes I'd like

to know how these Vampire Legends began

I believe they're widespread in the

slavonic land uh thank you

Draymond I was about to say the belief

had a firm grip on Hungary where it was

believed that dead men could leave their

coffins and Float through the air like a

swirl of mist until they took human

shape and attacked their

prey is something wrong Mills well just

it seems a bit silly taking it seriously

it's only superstitious nonsense after

all hang on there must have been a grain

of Truth in it otherwise the tale would

never have got into circulation surely

there must be some evidence some kind of

proof ah proof of a Kind perhaps bodies

exhumed from churchyards strange

contorted corpses with blood upon their

hands and faces but that doesn't prove

anything ah quite so these were the

plague years poor Devils half dead were

sometimes buried alive Al imagine how

they fought to get out of their graves

before they

expired that's how such stories arose

and that's what interests me and I also

am very

interested me gentlemen for intruding

upon your

conversation but with your permission I

should like to ask the famous Professor

Grio one question

well sir perhaps you do not believe a

man can Rise Up from his coffin that he

can move around invisibly that four

walls mean nothing to him and that he

may be as dangerous as any fiend in hell

no sir I do not do you oh yes I have

done it myself more than that I have a

brother who can do much more than I and

he is very dangerous I have no design

upon your life Professor but he has and

if he should call upon you but that's

enough look here the chaps start craving

mad shouldn't we just no let him alone

let him have his say about his brother

and his coffin not one coffin three

coffins very well three coffins as many

as you like for God's sake and and

perhaps you'll tell us who you are allow

me my

God thank

you Pier fle

Illusionist to costro

Street or care of the Academy

Theater I thought as much so you are a

conjurer if you said yes sir are we

about to witness one of your Illusions

not now when I associate with my brother

I too am in danger and my time is short

but I have one more question for you

very soon someone will call upon you

would you rather see me or shall I send

my brother I'll send your brother and be

damned to the pair of you

and as GMO sprang to his feet and

everyone leapt up the stranger managed

to slip away although GMO swore he

wasn't upset Mangan says he was as white

as a sheet but I suppose he's one of

these Bloomsbury types neurotic always

flying off the handle you're wrong there

my dear CH he isn't I've met Grio once

or twice he's a man of iron so what

happened next well I gather GMO managed

to make some sort of joke out of it and

everybody laughed and relaxed everyone

except Stuart Mills Mangan said he

looked very shaken and he must have been

fairly shaken himself because next day

he decided to go along to the Academy

Theater to have a word with this

conjurer chap the Academy I don't think

I know it no it's a Shabby Music Hall in

the East ENT he discovered that Pierre

fle shared a dressing room with an

acrobat a man from Dublin but who calls

himself the great P

Archie well you see it looks good on the

bills the real names oror so what can I

do for you sir I was hoping to speak to

Mr fle who Pierre fle I thought you

shared this room oh him I never remember

them foreign names everybody here calls

him

Looney well you just missed him he is on

in the first half you see and as soon as

he's done he packs up and leaves I'll be

seeing him tomorrow I can give him a

message well the fact is I was hoping to

find out a little more about Mr fle uh

what do you know about him uh not a lot

in that snow Li nobody knows him he's

not the sociable type but I'll say this

for him it's a damn good act I am

surprised some West End management

hasn't picked him up what sort of act

does he do oh Illusions high class

Conjuring his speciality is Vanishing

tricks but he is a cut above the general

run he works with an assistant and packs

all his props in a special box he uses

the size and shape of a coffin coffin

yes he is quite the expert on coffins

one night

I asked him why that was and he gave me

a funny look and says there were three

of us once buried

alive only the one

escaped what oh that wasn't the

strangest part of it he says sounds like

a narrow squeak you were lucky to escape

and he laughs and says I didn't I was

one of the two who didn't

Escape hey well I mustn't stand here

yapping that's the ad your daners

finished and I am on

next I was one of the two who didn't

Escape that's what he

there now my guess is Pierre fle has

some kind of grudge against Creo he may

be out to make trouble or hasn't been

any more trouble since they met at the

war Tavern well I can't prove that fle

is behind it but according to Stuart

Mills Grio secretary yes yes he gone

Mill says letters have been arriving for

the professor every day greo just to

them up but but yesterday he phoned

Mangan and said I want you here on

Saturday night someone's threatening to

call on me why didn't he get on to the

police Mangan suggested that but Grio

wouldn't hear of it so Mangan said fle

is obviously crazy aren't you taking any

steps to defend yourself and the

professor replied oh yes I'm going to

buy a painting to hang on the wall a

picture by my friend

Burnaby which is why I came to see you I

mean if that's his idea of defending

himself quite so have you got gmo's

address he lives in Russell Square

but I don't see neither do I but I take

it your car is outside yes Splendid and

now you go down and warm up the motor

while I fetch my hat and cloak yes but

look here when an alleged lunatic

threatens a San man we may or may not be

disturbed but when a San man begins to

act like a lunatic something must be

dum it was snowing as we drove along the

Strand and I noticed the clock in the

alch that said 5 minutes past

10 tell me why does your friend Mangan

take such a personal interest in the

professor's welfare for someone who's

only a casual acquaintance ah I believe

his personal interest is not so much the

professor as the professor's daughter

rosette yeah that would explain it yes

you didn't tell me the professor is a

married man his wife died when rosette

was born she was brought up by his

housekeeper madam

more here here we are Russell

Square it stopped snowing that didn't

last long uh long enough to whiten the

Pavements uh which is gmo's house that

one the blinds are down but you can see

lights in the ground floor window it all

looks very still and peaceful under the

snow Hadley spoke too soon suddenly our

blind was torn aside the window opened

and a figure climbed out onto the sill

he'll fall into the area if he's not

careful he's jumped

oh he's cleared the railings what the

Dickens hey

you stay right where you are good Lord

Mangan oh am I glad to see you you got

to get help fast what in God's name are

you up to don't waste any time he's

locked us in will somebody please tell

me what is going on oh M this is Dr

Gideon Fel oh Dr phel glad I know you

yes yes what's happened I don't know

there was a shot upstairs rosette and I

both heard it but we couldn't open the

door he'd locked us in stady on who

locked the door he did fle of course he

must be still up there we've got to find

him we'll have to break the front door

down just a minute why don't we try it

first we're in luck after you

gentlemen they raced inside and ran up

the stairs I followed at my own pace my

figure is built for comfort rather than

speed his study is up here the first

floor please answer me Professor are you

all right oh Mangan you must help me

they're both in there but but I can't

get in who's this police another lock

door hey that's right rosette still in

the drawing room she'll be going frantic

I'll be right back excuse me do ex don't

mention it well what have we here you're

the secretary I take it yes sir steuart

Mills we've got to get in somebody's in

there with the professor I heard a gun

go off and and he doesn't answer but I

could hear noises someone moving about

keep well back please if the Fell's

armed right here it

goes and once

more Second Time

Lucky not so lucky for the professor I

fear oh my God so much blood stay where

you are Mr Mills and if you've got a

weak Stu don't

look come on

Doctor we could all swear that nothing

came out of that room there was

something had tried to get out something

that tried to drag itself across the

carpet it choked rolled onto its side

and lay still apart from that the room

was

empty dead dying see the color is he's

got a bullet through the lung Mills call

an ambulance yes of course there's not

much hope for him but he may be able to

tell us something

before Dr Grio can you hear

[Music]

me who did this was it the man Pierre

fle no not him then who was it do you

know that right Madame de's looking

after her

and is is he I'm trying to

hear Grio struggled to speak his lips

moved but his strength was ebbing away

and it was hard to distinguish the words

then his eyelids

closed and he said no

more his passed out did Mills call the

ambulance yeah it's on its way there was

a small Hospital not far from here

practically around the corner look isn't

there anything we can do for him nothing

except get to work but what's happened

to the other man fle oh yes Pier fle who

didn't commit the crime Grio himself

told us that then who did a good

question and I'll add another where's

the gun that shot him and while we're

about it where's the knife knife the

poor devil has a bullet in his chest I'm

talking about the knife which was used

to attack this picture I assume this is

the painting that Grio bought from

bernabe H I guess so what's it supposed

to be it was a huge canvas lying on the

floor as if it had been pulled down off

the wall a landscape but no ordinary

landscape a Crooked Tree and a ghostly

range of mountains in the distance in

the foreground were three Graves three

headstones but now there were half a

dozen life slashes in the canvas which

gave the impression that the Graves had

begun to heave and crack open as if they

were about to give up their dead which

leaves us with a criminal assault no gun

no knife and no criminal he must have

done what I did climbed out of one of

the windows on the first floor and

closed it carefully after him he must

also have been lighter than air if you

look down you'll see the snow on the

pavement is completely unmarked not a

single footprint ah here's the ambulance

15 minutes later when Grio had been

rushed off for an emergency operation

and Hadley and I had searched the room

thoroughly we had to admit

defeat some of the furniture had been

moved around in front of the huge

chimney piece a leather sofa had been

pushed aside and a chair rolled back its

feet snarled up in the halfth rug a

small all Coal Fire had been a light in

the great but now it was smothered under

a mass of burnt blackened

papers there was blood on the rug and on

the sofa but there was nowhere that a

man could be

hiding

so Mr Mills I want you to tell us again

exactly what happened don't leave

anything out however insignificant it

might appear to be I've tried to

remember but but everything seemed to

happen at once you say you had this room

under observation all the evening yes

you see the little room Across The

Landing is my office I sat at my desk

with the door open so I had a clear view

of this store nobody could have come in

without my seeing them and who did you

see uh the professor came upstairs after

supper at half 7: he told me he didn't

want to be disturbed but he expected a

visitor about half 9 he didn't tell me

who but I knew who he meant and I kept

my eye on the door just in case and

where were the of the household Mangan

and Miss grimo were down in the drawing

room uh earlier on Mr Draymond the

lodger said he was going out well I

didn't see him after that and Madame dor

I saw her when she brought the professor

his after dinner coffee and she came up

later to collect the cup and saucer she

was just coming out when the front

doorbell rang down below what time would

that have been about A4 to 10 she went

down to the front door and 2 minutes

later she came came upstairs with a

visiting card on a silver tray she was

about to knock at the professor's door

when to my surprise I saw the stranger

following her when she turned around and

found him close behind her she was very

startled what are you doing here huh I

asked you to wait in the hall my time is

short I cannot wait you must wait stay

there until I have spoken to Professor

Grio I tell you I cannot wait you will

permit me to open the door no how dare

you what is the meaning of this in God's

name who are you don't push me come back

at onean that was the last I saw of him

whoever he was he forced his way into

the room the door shut I know it sounds

impossible but I swear take a deep

breath Mr midles there's no need to be

alarm right doctor leave it to me Mr

midles are you telling me this

mysterious stranger just disappeared off

the face of the Earth I'm telling you

what happened inspector

saw him the other two actually spoke to

him and a few minutes later this weird

looking man vanished and he's never been

seen since so he was weird looking was

he yes he was you see he was wearing a

mask a shiny pink mask the kind children

wear at parties and a black cap pulled

well down and a long black coat with a

collar turned up he pushed his way into

the study and after that just

disappeared Into Thin Air well is that

all you can tell us

you must have some ideas about the man

some Theory what there's only one idea

that keeps occurring to me though I'm

trying to put it out of my mind but I

can't help wondering if perhaps the

murderer was like the Invisible Man in

HT wells's story and if you took away

the black cap and the black coat and the

false face inside you might find nothing

at

all I don't expect anyone to believe me

but I believe

you I saw everything ah you are Madame

Deo I am Ernestine dumo and I have come

to help you find the man who shot sh

krio I wanted to go with him in the

ambulance but they would not let me they

said the police would wish to speak with

me well here I am please sit down Madame

I'd like to hear your statement in a

moment when we finish with Mr Mills

perhaps you can corroborate what he has

to say very well so Mr Mills you saw the

stranger slip in through that door the

Professor made a move to stop him but

the stranger was too quick for him and

as the door closed I saw well I I had

the impression that Madam Dumont closed

the door after him what you idiot you

you think I would assist that man to

come into this room huh alone with Char

he pushed the door shut behind him and

turned the key in the lock well Mr Mills

is that correct I don't know I'm only

telling you what I thought I saw perhaps

I was mistaken I assure you you are very

much mistaken but on one point I agree

that devil was wearing a false face you

may continue thank you Madame was very

agitated and began to call the professor

by his first name and rattle the door

and I heard him call out go away um I

can handle this well something like that

anyway and you Madame did you do as he

told you I have obeyed Sho for over 20

years I never knew a situation which he

could not handle I

see well Mr Mills Madame went downstairs

and you stayed in your room watching the

door until I heard the shot 5 or 10

minutes later and during that time you

heard nothing else well the door's very

thick at one point I thought I heard

voices and and something else which

which I can only describe as a kind of

bumping around I don't know what it was

thank you I'll have some other questions

later in the meantime would you mind

asking Mr Mangan to come up here oh and

and Miss Grio if she feels up to

answering questions certainly here thank

you inspector thank you Mr

Mills now Madame perhaps you'll give us

your version of these events yes I will

do my

best does your colleague have to wander

about the room like that I I find it

extremely irritating I do beg your

pardon I I was studying the books the

decor the coat of arms above the

fireplace but what are you doing here

huh are you you don't look like a

policeman for me let me introduce you uh

Madame dumo Dr Gideon Fel who sometimes

assists me in my inquiries

you a great pleasure mam

indeed and and and and how much longer

am I to be kept waiting in this icy room

the the file's gone out May I real like

did before we all catch your death of

cold I see no reason I wouldn't advise

that not until we find out what those

papers are which someone has burnt in

the great must have been quite a bonfire

oh why are men so stupid that you do

nothing but talk you know very well who

did this terrible thing it was Pierre

fle you know that why don't you go after

him because Pier fle didn't do it the

professor told us that himself what just

before he collapsed now tell me do you

know Pierre fle no I never saw him until

tonight but I know what Char told me he

is a maniac and he has a brother who is

even worse Char said one of them would

come tonight and when I came upstairs at

at quter to 10 the doorbell rang I went

down to answer it and the man was

standing outside he gave me his visiting

card and said please take this to the

professor and ask if he will see me what

about the mask he was wearing didn't

that strike you as odd the there was a a

Street Lamp behind him his face was in

Shadow I didn't see it until he followed

me upstairs much later I found I still

had the card in my hand but when I

looked at it there was nothing on it the

card was blank and now please please

will you let me go to the hospital to

see sh one moment madam

I must ask how long have you been the

professor's

housekeeper let me rephrase that how

long have you known him for more than 25

years and for a time I was more than

his I tell you this so you will not make

any trouble not for myself but for

rosette rosette Grio is my daughter she

was born here there had to be a record

but she does not know of it nobody knows

I trust you to keep silent and we shall

say nothing Madame uh where did you

first meet Grio in Paris you are

Parisian uh uh no I I was born in the

provinces but but I was working in the

city when we met as a c uhhuh and Grio

where is he from uh the the the south of

France his family are all dead we are

all the family he has I understand yeah

has he ever spoken to you about the

seven

Towers Madame are you feeling

unwell I'm perfectly well but I I don't

know what you are talking about I I

never heard of seven Towers I I only

wondered because of this painting the

mountains in the background they look

rather like

castle walls don't they a castle with

seven

towers do you know why the professor

bought this picture I know nothing about

it a child would not tell me why he

bought it why don't you ask bernabi he

painted it he ought to know but the

painting means nothing it looks like the

picture of a country that does not exist

yeah I fear you may be right and if

three people were bued in a country that

does not exist it might be difficult to

find

them I won't stay and listen to any more

of this nonsense are you all crazy H if

someone tried to kill Charles what would

they do he would not put on a mask like

children on bonfire night he would not

hand in a blank visiting car go upstairs

bues through the window you sit here

talking nonsense while my bull sh is at

death

waset what is it what's happened

I've been to the hospital you must get

there as fast as you can Aunt Ernestine

they say it won't be long

now as soon as the two women had gone

Hadley made some phone calls he sent a

policeman to costro street to pick up

Pier fle he called in forensic experts

and photographers to go over gmo's room

looking for Footprints fingerprints

clues of any kind and he had all the

charred paper in the great taken away to

be examined then he remembered something

I'd

said I think it's time to compare notes

doctor now tell me about those seven

towers and the country that never

existed let's leave that for a moment

Now where's your friend Mangan I think

he was talking to Mills just now spr it

let's have him in I think he may be able

to help us well if you say

sir ah Mangan a word with you please

so how he's going to help us Mangan was

in here when the professor passed out I

want to ask him if yes what is it come

in and shut the door sure what can I do

for you uh this may be nothing or it may

be the most important clue of all I'm

talking about those faint mutterings we

heard from Grio just before he lost

Consciousness the inspector asked if fle

had shot him and he said no right so I

asked asked him who did it exactly and

what did he say I want you both to tell

me exactly what you thought you heard

well the first word sounded to me like

har and then something about a bath then

he said something that sounded like not

suicide and something about got gun you

heard some of it but not in the right

order after the word bath I heard him

say salt and wine I heard got G and last

of all don't blame

poor don't blame poor who I don't know

that's when he passed out hover

bath salt Wine Not suicide got gun don't

blame

po let's try to work out what happened

in here after the shot was fired MH

there are signs of a struggle blood

stains on the sofa in the rug the

fireplace seems to be the center of

activity maybe the stranger escaped

through the chimney no I looked up it

starts off white enough then the flu

becomes so narrow you could barely get

your fist through but think about those

charred papers and the behavior of

Madame dumal from the moment she walked

in she kept looking at that great when I

went to investigate she became almost

hysterical she even asked us to light

the fire she wanted to make sure that

those papers were completely destroyed

so she knew what was going on after he

was shot Grio went to desperate lengths

to destroy evidence of some sort she

knew that it was a secret they shared

yeah what kind secret I can only tell

you part of it for the start neither

grimo nor dumo is French what they are

Hungarian I recognize the coat of arms

on the chimney breast and I found

several books in Hungarian on the

shelves some with gmo's real name on the

fly leaf Caroli the Hungarian version of

Charles

Caroli Grio

Horath he tried to tell us his name

harbath I think he came from

Transylvania a part of Hungary later

annexed by Russia so it's a kingdom that

no longer exists 10 out of 10 and I'll

tell you something else sometime around

the turn of the century carolly Horvath

and his brothers were sent to prison

brother he has Brothers oh yes two

brothers one calling himself pier fle

and another whom we haven't seen they

were sent to the salt mines at

Zea the seven Towers not salt wine but

salt mines but that's not the secret

he's been trying to cover up I believe

he committed some crime involving

coffins and people being buried alive

three of them buried alive only one

escaped I've already got a man out

looking for fle but what about the Third

third Brother The Invisible Man where is

he now like his brothers he may have

taken a French name we already have

charl and Pier for argument sick let's

call him brother ory and what can you

tell us about brother

Hy nothing nothing at all come

in I believe you wanted to see me

inspector ah Miss Grio yes if you're

sure you feel well enough to answer

questions quite well thank you but I

have a question to ask you gentlemen is

it true this story I hear about a man

attacking my father and disappearing

Into Thin Air not quite I have no doubt

it was a perfectly simple trick and we

shall soon find out how it was done I

hope you may be able to help us if I can

I will what do you want to know I

understand you and Mr Mangan were

downstairs when the visitor arrived did

you see or hear him at all we didn't see

him but we heard the bell and presently

a erest said something like wait here

then he called to us it's only me going

up to see the governor Mr draymond's the

only person who calls father Governor

But he sounded rather horar as if he had

a cold but Draymond lives here why would

he ring the

bell he could have gone out without his

key Mangan why in Heaven's name didn't

you say afterwards we realized it

couldn't have been Draymond so we kept

quiet about it well we didn't want to

put the old boy through the third degree

he wouldn't have heard of fly he's the

kindest man alive he throws parties for

the local children on bonfire

night however hetley decided it was high

time we made some inquiries about the

elusive Mr Draymond he asked rosette and

Mangan to wait downstairs then called in

Stuart

Mills Mr Mills you told us Mr Draymond

had gone out yes he said he was going to

a concert at the Albert Hall must have

been a long concert getting off of

midnight never mind that what can you

tell us about him how long have you

known him well ever since I came to work

here he's lived in the basement for

years he's employed as a librarian

though he has very poor eyesight reading

for any length of time gives him a bad

headache so it was really a sakure do

you suppose Draymond has some sort of

claim on Professor Grio once in an

expensive mood the professor told me

Draymond had saved his life ah and I

understand he entertains the local

children on bonfire night he had two

children of his own who were killed in a

tragic accident ages ago and his wife

died soon after of a broken heart he

likes to do something for the

neighboring children he saves up all the

year round EXC sir could you spare a

minute very well Mr Mills perhaps you go

and see if Draymond has returned I'd

like a word with him yes inspector of

course thank

you well Sergeant what is it couple of

things sir report from kostro Street the

Constable was unable to raise anyone at

number two Mr fle appears to be out

really and and what's that you've got

there package and a letter from the

surgeon at the hospital sir thank

you for inspector Hadley Charles Grio

died at 11:30 p.m. I'm sending you the

bullet I extracted at 38 he was barely

conscious by the end and said certain

things which can be attested by the

nurses who were present

his exact words were it was my brother

who did it I never thought he would

shoot God knows how he got out of that

room one second he was there and the

next he wasn't I want to tell you who my

brother is he died before he could say

anymore if there is anything further I

can do please let me know etc

etc when Mills returned he said Draymond

had been downstairs all the time fast

asleep so we went to his room at

once Mr Draymond I'm inspector Headley

and uh this is Dr Gideon F how do

you oh I Pi a par I afraid I'm not quite

awake we were told you'd gone to a

concert I meant to but then I had a very

bad headache so uh I took a sleeping

pill and and lay down the next thing I

knew was mes waking me up and and

telling me about the professor

is he Professor Grio is dead God Rest

his soul Charles Grio was a very good

friend to me I wish there was something

I could do there is tell us where and

when did you first meet oh it must have

been about

195 in Paris I was at the University

earlier than that I think you helped him

escape from the Santa prison in carpedia

didn't you how did you know tell us the

truth about carali orvas and his

brothers we believe one of them killed

him oh no no that's impossible he and

his brothers were imprisoned for some

political offense but the other two died

there of bubonic plag you must tell us

everything you know one day in

19001 I was traveling through Carpathia

on

Horseback the wind was howling and then

I came upon three Graves newly dug very

like the scene in burnaby's painting

mountains and three headstones I never

told bnab any of this there were no

headstones on those Graves Just Three

Crosses made of sticks and the wind

blowing suddenly my horse saw the graves

and reared up in

Terror and I saw it too one of those

mounds of Earth was

heaving

slithering suddenly I

heard something breaking open a dark mud

colored thing fumbling into the light

the groping fingers of a hand a man

trying to struggle

free so I went to help him dear God he

told me not to be alarmed he swore he

was not dying of the plague he was a

political prisoner making his Escape his

brothers had died in their cell

Charles then persuaded the prison doctor

to pretend he died with them they were

all buried in Shallow Graves but the

doctor smuggled a pair of wire cutters

into his coffin as long as he kept his

nerve and didn't use up too much air he

could force open the lead and push his

way up through the loose Earth but even

so how could he Poss he had some money

hidden away in his village there were no

passports in those days we traveled to

Paris where

there was a a girl I think we know who

she was H yes we don't want to rake up

old

scandals the professor made me swear

never to tell this story but

now I suppose it doesn't

matter when I got to bed that night I

lay awake thinking if gmo's Brothers had

died in prison his last words made no

sense at

all at breakfast time Hatley arrived

with the morning paper and threw it down

in front of me have you seen this so

much for pier

fle magician murdered by Magic little of

calostro Street the second bullet is for

you what is all this I let the papers

make a splash so we could appeal for

information I'll read it while you eat

your toast though I warn you it may

spoil your

appetite Pierre BL a French conjurer was

found shot at 10:00 last night in

mysterious circumstances 10:00 that yes

about 5 minutes after Grio was shot

while we were all at Russell Square what

else does it say C ustra Street is a

cool DEC with a few shops on the corner

and a Terrace of houses along each side

two visitors to London were returning to

their boarding house when they heard

someone following them and glanced back

to see a third man later identified as

fle a short distance behind them

at the same time police Constable Wilson

on patrol crossed the entrance to costra

Street and looked in they all heard a

cry of alarm then someone uttered the

words the second bullet is for you

followed by a mocking laugh and a pistol

shot as they turned around fle stopped

screamed and pitched forward onto his

face there was no one else in the street

this was confirmed by Constable Wilson

who found the victim with a bullet wound

under his shoulder blade the weapon a 38

coat revolver had been thrown down some

10 ft off the singed condition of Flay's

Overcoat showed the weapon could only

have been fired from a few inches away

but the wound in the back was in such a

position suicide was

impossible well what do you think I

don't think I shall finish my breakfast

Charles is dead Pierre is dead yes I

think we need to find brother ory

[Music]

notes made by me Gideon Phil concerning

the murder of Professor Grio a Hungarian

expatriate living in

London on Saturday Night February the

9th

1935 Grio was shot by an unknown visitor

wearing a paper mask in his own study

behind a locked door when inspector

Hatley forced the door open he found

Grio in a pool of blood but the visitor

had vanished Into Thin

Air 35 years earlier Grio and his two

brothers had been imprisoned in Hungary

Grio was bedded alive in a shallow grave

from which he managed to escape but it

was thought that his brothers buried in

similar Graves were already dead now it

seemed that one brother had returned

under the name of Pierre

fle he was a musical conjurer and by

means of a stage illusion or perhaps

black magic he had killed Charles

Grio next morning hatle interrupted my

breakfast to bring me the Sunday

papers magician murdered by Magic riddle

of Coster Street what is all this I'll

read it while you eat your

toast Pierre fle was found shot at 10:00

last night in mysterious circumstances

10:00 but that's yes about 5 minutes

after GMO was shot while we were all at

Russell Square what else did it say

costro street is a caac with a few shops

on the corner and a Terrace of houses

along each side two visitors to London

were returning to their boarding house

when they heard someone following them

and glanced back to see a third man

later identified as fle a short distance

behind them at the same time police

Constable Wilson on patrol crossed the

the entrance to calostro Street and

looked in they all heard a cry of alarm

then someone uttered the words the

second bullet is for you followed by a

mocking laugh and a pistol shot as they

turned around fle stopped screamed and

pitched forward onto his face there was

no one else in the

street please go on Constable Wilson

found the victim with a bullet wound

under his shoulder blade the weapon a 38

coat revolver had been thrown down some

10 ft beat off the singed condition of

F's Overcoat showed the weapon could

only have been fired from a few inches

away but the wound in the back was in

such a position suicide was

impossible well what do you think I

don't think I shall finish my

breakfast charl is dead Pierre is dead

leaving only the third brother shall we

call him Hy yes I think we need to find

brother hry who by all account account

is also dead what about footprints in

the no there were none except those of

the dead man and the three Witnesses of

course and their testimony is reliable

well the two chaps come from Birmingham

it's their first visit to London and

we've no reason to doubt them and I

trust Constable Wilson as to the weapon

fle was shot with a cold 38 just like

GMO brother omry took no chances after

he'd shot Greer at about 5 minutes to 10

he guessed we'd go looking for fle so he

made sure he got to him before we did

but we do know one thing hry can't be

one of gmo's cronies in this disg when

fle was shot they were all at Russell

square with us all except one what

Mangan Mills Draymond they were all

Under One Roof you've left out one

important person Burnaby the artist who

painted the landscape we found in gmo's

study the picture of those three graves

in a far off country I'd like to meet Mr

bernabe so would I I've got a man trying

to track him down but at present I'm

anxious to get all the information I can

about the late Pierre fle was he kill

instantly almost by the time they got

him to a doctor he was done for and

where was that well luckily there's a

doctor at the far end of calostro Street

only a few steps away I'll show you when

we get there well so we are off to

calostro Street of course I don't know

what we shall find there but so far

we've been going around in circles

anything's better than

that kostro street is a narrow Backwater

opening off Lamb's Condit Street tucked

away between a tobacconist and a small

jewelry

the snow had melted during the night to

a thin gray

slush cheerful sort of face I must say

where did Frey live number two on the

corner he had an attic room over the

tobacconist we'll look in later and see

what we can find and he was shot halfway

along the street just about here that's

very interesting uh is it well where in

Heaven's name was F going I mean it's

CAC nothing but a brick wall at the end

the two chaps from Birmingham were a few

yards ahead on their way back to their

lodgings do you suppose he was following

them I wish I knew what time is it uh

just gone 11: there's a clock over the

Jeweler shop oo should be here by now oo

the Irish acrobat on the same bill as F

at the musical he was the only person we

could find to identify the body last

night and I asked him to meet us here

this morning I doubt if he can tell us

what we want to know for one thing you

show me where fle died but where did the

murderer come from he came from here

Sergeant don't ever do that again doctor

you know Sergeant beds yes yes good

morning Sergeant morning sir sorry if I

startled you I was in number 18 in the

doorway and what were you doing there

making a few inquiries along with Mr oo

here he comes oh pleased to meet you

gentleman Oro the name Michael oo also

known as the great

Pachi so sorry to hear about Mr fle and

when did you see him last

last night when he' finished his act and

took off his grease paint he started

packing up his

paraphernalia what what are you doing

with all your props sure they have never

given you the push have they no but I

won't be here next week my work here is

over tonight I go to meet my brother he

can do something which will settle some

unfinished business for both of

us sure I don't know what you're talking

about it is not important except if

anything goes wrong tonight you will

find my brother in costro Street

costro isn't that where htics are he is

not at my address he lives elsewhere but

he must have taken a room if anything

should happen to me you will know where

to find him good night my friend hey now

wait a bit where are you going I am

going back to my

grave and sure that was the last time I

set eyes on on him till I saw him laid

out on a slap God Rest him well that

must be where he was going last night to

call on his brother acting on Miss oo's

information I inquire around the houses

here and discovered a single gentleman

has been renting a small apartment

lately on the first floor of number 18

good work Sergeant have you searched the

place I took a look around and found

some traces of blood stains well what

are we waiting for let's

go through here gentlemen in the

bedroom hello what's all this jimy it

looks like Ali barar of the 40 thieves

all the Arabian Knights hanging lamps

luxurious an oriental Haram this throws

a new light on brother hry well sir

talking of throwing a light on it when

the land lady let me in I couldn't turn

on the lights I thought they'd fused but

she told me they work off a meter and

when I put a chilling in the lights came

on I think you said something about

blood stains yes sir there's been some

attempt to clean the place up but you

can still see traces on the carpet and

on this damp face clo I think it's what

he used to sponge his clothes but this

isn't his flat we don't know who it

belongs to sorry sir I thought I told

you I asked the land lady and she gave

me his name Jerome Burnaby Burnaby

doctor you are right burnaby's our

man oh no he's not oh Christmas that's

torn it we're up a gum tree again well I

don't see anything to laugh at doesn't

this convince you that bab is our man it

convinces me that he's absolutely

innocent now look around did you ever

know a criminal who has such a romantic

Hideway you put your finger on it when

you said he was like an oriental harim

that's exactly what it is a toen colored

less well that's all very well but what

about the blood Mr Rock tell me exactly

what fle said about his brother renting

an apartment in the street well know he

said something like he must have got a

room there I have seen him hanging about

what else did he say about his brother

well nothing not a word seem as he never

told anyone how he did his stage

tricks I take it you've seen the papers

about fle and Grio surely did are some

sort of Illusion must have been used to

kill both men you know a lot about stage

magic can you think of any trick that

might explain how it was done I know

Authority and even if I was I never talk

about such things why not because people

always get disappointed when they are

let into the secret they don't like to

admit they have been fooled and if it's

a trick worked with a Confederate they

say oh well if you have to have someone

to help as if it made it unfair somehow

well yes but that is cheating that's

what I mean I will give you an example

on stage you have got a troop of

assistants in white uniforms and on

comes the magician in a blue uniform on

a Great White Horse they go around in a

circle then two of the attendants hold

up a couple of huge fans which just for

a moment hide the man on the horse down

come the fans and hey Presto there's the

horse but the rid has vanished do you

want to know how when would G to us I

sure he hasn't vanished at all only you

don't see him because that grand blue

uniform is made of paper over a white

uniform when the fans go up he tears off

the blue one and stuffs it into his

white jacket then jumps down and runs

off with the other attendants now that's

how it's done you look at something

without seeing it and so you swear it

wasn't there yes well that's all very

interesting but it doesn't solve our

problem what's bothered me all along is

why fle sent his brother to do his dirty

work fle was The Conjurer fle was the

man to do it but he didn't keep quiet

all of you there are two people

approaching the house a tall man who

might be Burnaby and a young lady

rosette Grio Sergeant put the lights out

ack nip down and keep that land lady

talking until our visitors have let

themselves in sure I do my

best what did you think of a rock I

think he's the most stimulating

enlightening witness I've heard yet

almost as enlightening as the church

bells church bells what church bells any

church bells the thought of those bills

has brought me light and wisdom at last

oh yes and did they tell you how the

vanishing trick was done unfortunately

no they only told me the name of the

murderer the name of the here they come

you mean you lost the key I gave you you

didn't come here last night after all I

never had any intention of coming here I

hope hope you passed a pleasant evening

waiting for me no I wasn't here I

changed my mind that's a li jome you

were here what makes you think that we'd

like to hear the answer to that question

Mr babby what the devil that I warn you

I happen to have a sword stick you won't

need it Jerome they're the police please

do carry on with your conversation Miss

Grio says you were in this flat last

night is that true no I was not well

miss gamer this has nothing to do with

my father's death whatever else may be

he's not a murderer all the same he was

in the flat last night and how do you

know that unless you were here yourself

I wasn't here but I saw a light in this

room soon after 10 you saw it where were

you at the hospital in the room where my

father was dying it's in the next street

and from the top floor you get a clear

view of these houses and I noticed a

light in this room I knew jome had taken

this flat he'd given me a key you must

have been mistaken it was probably the

house next door I wasn't mistaken I

counted the houses anyway since you'd

invited me that's right L it on with a

tri blacken my reputation I came here

today because I wanted to find out the

truth once and for all I can't decide

whether you're really a nice sympathetic

person or just oh for heaven sake don't

call me a dear old friend of the family

I was about to say or just a sworded low

down

blackmailer

blackmail I must ask you to explain that

oh I don't mean blackmail for money he's

always dropping nastyy little hints

about some Horrible Secret in my

father's past old draymond's in on it

too they both know something they're not

telling me then last night Jerome tried

to get me to come to this flat he hinted

that when we were alone he'd tell me the

truth but I didn't trust him well Mr

Burnaby what have you to say to that I

wanted a chance to talk to rosette

privately I've been a damn fool haven't

I I don't live here

I have a studio in Chelsea and a

housekeeper an excellent woman from aine

but a strict Presbyterian I could never

invite guests there female guests that's

why I rented this

plat poor lonely old

fool I imagined rosette was fond of me I

realized now that I was just deluding

myself well that needn't concern us Mr

bernabe but we must know the story of

Professor gmo's past what can you tell

us about that I I can't tell you

anything do you know there are traces of

blood stains in this room and that

Pierre fle was murdered outside this

house last night who fle isn't that the

man who barged into the pub last week

and started threatening the professor

yes now we believe he was the

professor's brother and that the same

gun shot both men what can you tell us

about that Mr bernabe for a start can

you prove that you were not in this flat

last night yes I can I was with friends

all the evening playing poker until 1:00

in the morning they'll swear to that

Miss Grio do you still maintain you saw

a light here at half 10 yes but Jerome I

never meant to stir up any trouble you

also said he invited you to meet him

here last night it doesn't seem very

likely does it now we know he'd planned

to go out and play cards with his friend

Mr bernabe would it be true to say that

after you extended your invitation to

the young lady you were changed your

mind that's right I was on my way out

when I looked at myself in a mirror

and I

realized she was never going to come

here that's why I went and joined the

poker school instead but somebody was

here somebody who left the lights on all

night which is why the meter ran out who

else knew you had taken this flat nobody

knew except except me and I certainly

didn't tell anyone but he lend you a key

what happened to that I must have lost

it I kept it in my bag but this morning

I found it had gone but what's all this

nonsense about brothers my father never

had Brothers oh yes he did you knew that

Mr baby you painted the picture out of

the three Graves that horrid picture in

the study but why what made you choose

that particular subject wish I'd never

painted The Wretched thing oh here's how

it happened a year or two ago I'd gone

into a Parish Hall somewhere it had come

on to rain and I hadn't got a coat with

me there was a chap lecturing on Hungary

with Lantern slides one of them showed

three Graves on the mountains

Beyond somehow it it caught my

imagination when I got home I said to

work well sometime later GMO dropped

into my studio and saw it it gave him

quite a turn he lost his temper but when

he realized I had no idea what he was

talking about he told me his

story having gone so far bernabe told us

everything he could remember just as

Draymond had told it the prison the

plague the two brothers gmo's Escape I

expected rosette to be horrified but she

seemed oddly

relieved is that what I've been worrying

about some old story about Graves and

ghosts and vampires this the 20th

century nobody takes that sort of thing

seriously anymore your father took it so

seriously he went back to Mr babby last

week and bought the painting yes I was

there when the van arrived it was all

wrapped up in sacking and so heavy it

took two men to carry it upstairs yes

big picture and an important one it was

part of his plan to defend himself

against something he was afraid might

happen and yet in the end it did

happen Hatley sent the girl back to

Russell square with Sergeant bits while

we continued our investigation in Pierre

F's bed sitting room above the

tobacconist

shop what are you expecting to find I

never expect to find anything but I'm

hoping to discover some traces of

brother ay yes goodness knows where he's

hiding himself I don't think goodness

has much to do with it the Mysterious Mr

fle doesn't appear to have had much

respect for Holy RIT judging by that

text hanging upside down over the wash

stand let have the right way up shall we

yeahuh yeah that's better vengeance is

mine sayth the Lord I will repay yes he

respected venance if nothing else but

it's not just the text that was upside

down our whole case has been turned

upside down or perhaps I should say the

wrong way round hello what have you got

there he's left a note on the bedside

table addressed to the

landlord I'm leaving you my few

belongings such as they are in Li of a

week's notice

I shall not need them again I'm going

back to my grave signed Pierre fle still

harping on about his grave it sounds as

if it ought to mean something but it

doesn't I'm beginning to wonder if there

ever was a person called Pier fle he

certainly didn't leave much impression

on this room there's nothing here to

help us then I suggest we go back to

Russell square and let's hope we find a

few answers

there hey steady on What's the

I'm impatient to get on with this damn

case the further we go the more

impossible it seems I rest assured

whatever the solution may be I promise

you it will not be impossible why not

because that's impossible a masked man

enters a room shoots GMO and vanishes 15

minutes later Pierre fle is shot in an

empty Street and you say that's not

impossible oh that's the easy part now I

told you I got the explanation for that

from the church bills are you being

deliberately infuriating I didn't even

hear any death Bell no neither did I but

that's perfectly simple it's the escape

from the locked room that bothers me

gmo's secretary um what's his name

Stuart Mills yeah yes yes Mills saw the

stranger enter that room so did the

housekeeper they both saw Grio open the

door a stranger went in the door was

locked sometime later a shot rang out

they're both prepared to swear that

nobody came out again and yet when I

broke the door down Grio was alone in

there dying now look here you don't

suppose it was some kind of optical

illusion do you oh no no middle said

that the housee keeper spoke to him and

he pushed past her when he went in oh no

no no he was solid enough and there was

no illusion about the bullet that killed

Grio but what became of the gun are you

telling me it was somehow whisked up the

chimney and over the rooftops to land in

calostro Street just in time to shoot

fle up the

chimney I wonder look here if you're

suggesting The Stranger climbed up the

chimney oh no no no nothing like that no

I'd like to take another look at that

chimney now's your chance here's Russell

Square so you could hey look at that an

ambulance outside gma's house come on

and the front doors open don't tell me

someone else has been oh thank goodness

you're here langang God what is it

Something's Happened to Draymond kind of

stroke apparently he's not no no no but

he's in a that way the ambulance men are

with him now another casualty yes El

Draymond he's been talking wildly about

somebody getting into his room something

about

fireworks let's

go boy Mangan the Canadian journalist

and close friend of rosette Grio took us

into the drawing room where we found the

young lady with Stuart Mills and Madame

dor Who Sat by the fire staring into the

Flames well is Mr Draymond downstairs in

his room you cannot see him they will

take him to the hospital I can't stand

it inspector what is going on for pity's

sake you must tell us something take it

easy sweetheart suppose you start by

telling us what happened to Mr Draymond

is he in any serious danger it is

possible he collapsed his heart is not

strong whether he will ever recover I do

not

know Mr Mills you were about to say

something well if you have any idea that

there been Foul Play you can put that

right out of your mind when it happened

Madame dumor and I were upstairs in my

office Miss grimo and Mr Mangan were

here in the drawing room that's right we

were on our own when old Draymond came

in forgive the intrusion can you tell me

where I can find the inspector what's

his name inspector Hadley why what's

wrong he's rather difficult to explain

but well you see something's missing

from my bedroom down in the basement

I found it it disappeared and then I

remembered something that happened last

night something I'd forgotten I I'd

taken a sleeping pill because I had a

bad headache and and while I was asleep

I'm pretty sure someone came into my

room who was it I'm not sure it may not

have happened I might have dreamt it but

there's certainly something missing I

must go upstairs and make sure I thought

you said this happened downstairs yes

but it might be upstairs I must find

out I think I can continue the story

from that point Madame dear and I were

in my office across the landing when

Draymond came stumbling up the stairs he

seemed very confused I thought perhaps

he'd been drinking how dare you say such

things I know you do not like poor

Draymond but he is a good man and if he

dies I shall pray for his soul may I

have your permission to continue yes you

may have my permission thank you

anyway Draymond came upstairs and went

into the professor's study he closed the

door I couldn't see what he was doing

when he reappeared he was disheveled and

breathless as if he'd been taking

violent

exercise possibly that was what brought

on the subsequent attack and his hands

and sleeves were covered in suit that

damn chimney again Dr fell did you what

where is he no he slipped out a few

minutes ago I think he went upstairs did

he indeed excuse me I'll just kind have

a word with

him Doctor Who who's that oh hadly so

you came to have another look around yes

yes I did and did you find anything well

in a way I think I did I think I know

the truth now but the trouble is I don't

know what to do about it I don't

understand oh is the old question and

with each year that passes I find it

harder to answer what is

justice I asked myself at the end of

almost every case yes well uh should we

go downstairs no wait a bit Mills says

when Draymond came out of this room his

hands were covered in sot could there be

some kind of secret passage in good

Heavens no no no nothing like that I

told you nobody got out that way excuse

me sir uh com in bits what is it this

message just came over from Scotland

Yard in reply to your inquiry I got the

yard to put a call through to Bucharest

to check on brother hry thank you bets

let's have a look

dear God well what is it you were right

when you said our case has been turned

upside down we're on the wrong track

altogether as to brother rry I think I

can guess what you're going to say there

is no brother

onry the third brother died over 30

years ago they weren't political

prisoners they were sentenced to 20

years for bank robbery the loot was

never

recovered with the help of a corrupt

doctor they made an attempt to escape

being certified as dead and buried in

plague ground when coroli hvar's grave

was found to be disturbed and his coffin

empty the waters opened the other Graves

finding Pierre harvar unconscious but

still alive he was returned to prison

and served out the rest of his sentence

and the third brother suffocated inside

his

coffin we've been chasing a ghost yes I

was afraid of that but it makes no sense

all our the is about vengeance the

quarrel between fle and GMA that's all

gone there's nothing left well not at

all don't you see what we're left with

what the only explanation for the two

murders you mean someone else cooked up

the whole thing to make it look like the

work of an Avenger the murderer

pretended to be brother hry oh no no no

no no where's the motive oh there could

be any number of motives for killing

Grio or for killing fle but not by the

same person the people who knew Grio

didn't know fle and and vice versa if

the murders are the work of one person

that person must be the link between a

respected professor in Bloomsbury and a

Shabby conjurer from the East End I can

think of one person who could have known

them

both Madame

dumo

possibly but are you suggesting she

dressed up as the masked man to

impersonate hry whatever else she may

have done she didn't do that Mills saw d

more arguing with the visitor we've only

got his word for that damn it a lot of

our case depends on the evidence of

Mills and deore they could be in this

together no no don't forget that woman

loved Grio she loved him for 30 years or

more no we must look elsewhere really

and where do you suggest in the great or

rather at the charred papers we found in

the great did you send them off for

Chemical Testing yes I should have the

result first thing in the morning

whatever's on those papers printing

typing even handwriting the experts

should be able to give us some idea of

what they contain yes well come around

at breakfast time I'll be interested to

hear the result why where are you off to

I'm going home it's been a long

day Hatley told me later that he'd sat

up half the night trying to decide which

of our possible suspects could have shot

the two brothers he considered them in

turn Mills Draymond Burnaby our helpful

Irishman Rock even young Mangan but when

Dawn broke he was no nearer a

solution I was tucking into my eggs and

bacon when he arrived the next morning I

could see that he'd had a restless

night come in Hadley oh you look

terrible I have some coffee and piece of

toast uh no thanks but I do have some

news for you good or bad depends how you

look at it good from burnaby's point of

view we checked his Alibi and the poker

school all vouch for him he's not our

man

and all the rest were at Russell Square

by the by The Undertakers will return

gmo's body to the house this morning a

sort of lying in state requested by

rosette and Madame

deor how about the laboratory tests on

the CH papers what did they come up with

nothing there was nothing on those

papers no printing no writing nothing at

all apart from a few scraps of thicker

paper or more thin card with printing

but not enough to be legible

why anyone should want to burn documents

with nothing on them because they

weren't

documents come on havy it's time to go

back to Russell square and clear up this

Unholy mess once and for all clear it up

but you want to meet the Invisible Man

don't you the hollow man who's been

giving us nightmares very well I'll

introduce you and we'll see if we can

extract a

confession all the blinds were drawn at

the house in Russell Square

it looked more dead than ever Hadley

rang the bell and after a moment Mills

answered the

door oh inspector good morning Mr Mills

may we come in oh yes of course good

morning Dr F good morning I'd like to

see Madame dumor where is she she's in

the drawing room with the uh you know

yes we do

know the room was in a dim halflight

Lost In Shadows apart from one object

that

dominated ringed with burning candles

and open coffin lined with white

satin gmo's face had an oddly Serene

appearance as if he had reached a kind

of Peace at Last but the woman turned on

us

fiercely well what do you want I think

you

know and it will do you good to confess

Madame but leave me

confess so that is what you think huh

you idiots you want me to confess to

murder no no no you were not the

murderer but you were the accessory the

Confederate to a murderer to a hollow

man a hollow man indeed but he told us

the truth Hadley and we didn't

understand it do you want to meet the

men we've been searching

for there he is though God forbid that

we should judge him

now you

know do you really know oh

yes I

know please go

upstairs go to his room I will join you

both in a moment do not worry I shall

not run away

we entered gmo's study for the last time

Hadley made sure the door was closed

then turned to me for an

explanation are you trying to tell me

Grio killed fle oh yes he did while he

was unconscious dying in that hospital

he went to costro Street and shot no

that's what I meant when I said the case

was the wrong way around yesterday

morning when we went to costra Street we

were told that three Witnesses all

truthful men had said that the shooting

happened at 10:00 they were sure about

that because they'd all seen as you

yourself saw the clock over the Jeweler

shop it wasn't until later that I

understood when I asked you the time you

said it was just gone 11 that puzzled me

and presently I realized what was wrong

the church bells those damn Bells again

what about them there weren't any on

Sundays most churches have morning

service at 11: and start calling the

faithful 5 or 10 minutes before yet we

heard nothing when I checked it I found

that the clock above the shop was 40

minutes fast so the shooting the night

before couldn't have taken place at 10:

it was 40 minutes earlier see about 9:20

in other words 25 minutes before the

masked man entered this house but I

still don't see if you're saying Grio

shot fle in the Ostro Street sometime

before 9:20 let's go back to the

beginning to the night when fle turned

up at the pub and threatened Grio in

front of a group of strangers he used

his dead brother as a threat he asked

shall I get him to call on you then

handed Grio a card with his name and

address what he was really saying was

this you my brother are fat and rich on

the proceeds of a robbery we both

committed in our younger days and I I am

poor now will you do a deal with me or

shall I set the police Onto You

blackmail but but hang on then he said I

also am in danger when I associate with

my brother so he was he ran the risk

that Grio would try to silence him later

he told oo I'm going to see my brother

but if anything goes wrong you can find

him in costro Street not at my address

he lives elsewhere he's taking lodgings

there I still don't see he was right to

be cautious greo had no intention of

doing a deal with him he only had one

plan fle must die but since fle had been

shw enough to give his name and address

to a group of strangers if anything

happened to him it could be awkward for

Grio so he planned a very ingenious

murder go on the off he intended to

produce was this the mysterious fle must

be seen calling on him on Saturday night

he'd be seen entering the study with GMO

they'd have a row a shot would be fired

and when the door was opened GMO would

be found alone slightly wounded but not

fatally next morning fle would be found

dead in his own lodgings with a gun in

his hand having killed himself in a fit

of remorse but as we know the plan

miscarried f was supposed to be found in

his digs above the tobacconist that was

the original idea Grio arranged to meet

him there but he couldn't risk being

seen going in or out however he had

another way of getting in remember bab's

love nest was on the same side as the

tobacconist Grio who probably spied on

his daughter had borrowed the key to

Burnaby flat from her handbag all he had

to do was go to the flat get out through

the Skylight and walk back across the

rooftops to Fay's digs and de himself in

the same way well what happened fle

didn't keep the appointment oh yes he

did though I expect his suspicions were

aroused he'd seen Grio hanging about a

few days earlier that's why fle was

under the impression that he' rented the

flat at number 18 no the two men met as

arranged Grio promised him the Earth

then agreed to patch up their lifelong

enmity because Grio had made off with

the proceeds of the bank robbery all

those years he done worse than that he

promised his brothers he'd help them

escape from their graves but he double

crossed them and left them there one

died in his coffin and it was only by

chance that fle

survived Grio must have promised him a

fortune to compensate for that still he

lled his suspicion somehow he even

persuaded him to dictate the note to the

landlord but how do you know all this my

dear CH Grio told us himself at least he

tried to to continue fle writes the note

they're ready to depart and GMO whips

out the gun whether fle was still on his

guard I don't know but there was a

struggle and the gun went off and greo

realized he made a bad mistake instead

of shooting through the heart he' shot

him in the back impossible for a suicide

fle collapsed and Grio just had sense

enough to jam the gun into his hand then

make his Escape through the Skylight he

scrambled back back to number 18 and let

himself into bab's flat but what about

fle he didn't die there no no no no he

was badly wounded but he wouldn't give

in he had to get help he had to find a

doctor

exactly you remember the doctor was at

the far end of the street that's where

Fay was going at the same moment in

number 18 Grio has gone downstairs to

look out and make sure the coast is

clear he opens the door and there is the

man he's just left for dead fle still

touching the gun does not hesitate he

cries out the second bullet is for you

and fires the effort is too much for his

failing strength he screams tries to

fling the empty gun of GMO and falls to

the ground but the bullet hit GMO in the

chest as he closed the door and nobody

saw him when fle collapsed the witnesses

all ran to help him by the time they

looked around the door was shut and Grio

gone he never stepped outside and never

left any tracks in the snow so what

happened to him in burnaby's flat he

examines the wound it's not too painful

he probably

grins after all he's only go he planed

to give himself anyway a wound it's

bleeding pretty badly but he's

determined to carry through his original

scheme so he cleans up as best he can

then sets off to go home leaving the

lights on all night yes they were they

were still burning when rosette saw them

50 minutes later GMO got back to Russell

Square by A4 to 10 and entered his house

by the back door he couldn't risk

leaving footprints on the front steps so

who rang the front doorbell he did but

he opened the door from inside then he

locked Mangan and rosette in the drawing

room and called out to them pretending

to be Draymond when he was dying he said

to us don't blame poor

he was trying to say

Draymond then he followed Madame deore

upstairs they had to carry out the

illusion ah now we're coming to it how

was it done and how did you work it out

well I've been puzzled by the weight of

that picture bernaba painting of the

graves it's big but a framed canvas

isn't that heavy yet when it was brought

into the house wrapped up in sucking it

took two men to carry it so it wasn't

hard to work out that there must have

been something else else wrapped up with

it but what would be the same size and

shape as a picture only damn side

heavier tell me a

mirror ah Grio had a very large mirror

taller and witer than the door propped

up just inside the study you mean it was

one of those damn theatrical Illusions a

new version of an old illusion when he

came upstairs and argued with Madame

deal for the benefit of their one man

audience Stuart Mills he only had to

open the door remove the mask and Mills

would see Professor Grio inside coming

towards him dimly because there was only

one small light on the landing it only

took a moment before he stepped inside

and the show was

over but it had served its purpose but

what became of the mirror there's no

hiding place in this room there is

inside the fireplace

if you look up there you'll find a ledge

just above your head wide enough and

tall enough to take the mirror before it

Narrows into the

chimney no doubt the effort of lifting

the mirror into its Hiding Place brought

on his final Hemorrhage yes but what

about the clothes the mous man was

wearing the Long Black Coat and cap and

the mousk itself ah do you remember o

Rock's tale of the vanishing Horsemen

gmo's cap and coat like the mask were

made of paper Madame deong was a

costumier in the younger days that's why

your tests showed nothing except plain

paper apart from the firework of course

what firework grimo slipped into

draymond's room and took one of the

fireworks the old man collected he

didn't have the gun now but Mills had to

hear the sound of a

shot any more questions only one what

about the slashing of the picture and

one more question what became of the

knife slashing ing the picture was an

extra touch to add to the mystery I

imagine but as for the knife I have no

idea unless it's somewhere inside the

chimney along with the miror that is the

one point on which you are on Madame I

heard everything you said perhaps you

would hang me perhaps not that is of no

importance after so many years it is not

worthwhile going on without char

I took the knife

gentlemen I had another use for

it I've done a terrible thing

Hadley I've told the

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