II
"It's not possible!!" complained White, "he was alive just moments ago!!"
Then he saw the half empty glass of water and understood. He went to the telephone, rang the local police and returned to the room which held the silence of death.
Shortly after, two constables arrived. White told them what had happened as they sat on a big and comfortable settee. Then he tried in vain to explain to them that the glass – originally full – was now half empty, but apparently their only duty there was to make sure no one left the house before the arrival of the people from Scotland Yard.
Fortunately, they didn't have to wait too long, as Inspector Lestrade was wandering about that very beach at the time. Sally went down to open the door and led him to the room. Lestrade listened attentively to the story the doctor told him and was eager for further explanation."
"And you say the glass is half empty now?" he asked
"Yes," replied the doctor. "And the water must have been poisoned because he died after he drank a gulp of water."
Lestrade enquired who had had access to the glass. White explained that Sally had brought it from the kitchen and then he admitted having put it over the night table himself, within his reach the whole time. Finally, he was unsure whether Mary could have poured something in it while he was getting the cushion from the wardrobe; however, it was Sally who stated that as the doctor was at it, Mary had to pass in front of her – which didn't happen – in order to reach the glass, as she had been at the opposite side of the bed all the time.
Lestrade checked the bed; it was wide, and it was impossible for anyone to reach the night table from the opposite side.
"Let's take a look at the glass now," he said afterwards.
"Of course," said the doctor, approached the night table and uttered a significant exclamation.
"Why, it's empty!!" he yelled and went grave.
"Is it?" said Lestrade coolly.
"It was half full before you came here!"
The inspector knelt before Michael's bed and examined the carpet. It was wet, the water must have been spilt here; and Lestrade was satisfied there was no chance of extracting water samples from it.
Once again there was the question of who had had access to the glass, from the moment of Michael's death until Lestrade's arrival. Apparently, this time everyone had had chance to do it. Plus, no one had seen the water being spilt and that was the end of the question.
"These stupid constables are useless," complained White.
Lestrade looked at the night table, noticing the tablecloth was creased, and he had always been suspicious about creased clothes.
"Don't worry," he said, "I'll find a use for them."
He addressed the constables and spoke to them in a low voice, giving one of them a small object. After the conversation, they disappeared from the room and went downstairs. Once he heard the front door slam loudly, he beckoned Mary to his side and said to her:
"Look, I need your help; I cannot leave this room right now and I sent the constables to get fingerprints powder. I want you to go to the kitchen and bring me a little flask with a red lid, in which the doctor put the only sample of water left. You'll find it over the table."
She came back a minute later with the flask in her shaking hand.
"It was empty!" she yelled, "I found it in the trash can!"
Lestrade looked down the balcony to the ground floor, from where one of the constables was nodding at him. At the sight of this, Mary fainted. Sally became heavily worried about it, explaining that it was the second fainting of the day, the first one ending up in death. Concerned as well, the doctor took Mary to her own room, laying her on her bed.
"She will soon wake up," he said.
"Very well, doctor," said Lestrade, "just let me put the handcuffs first; once she wakes up, it won't be as easy."