a truck, you know. Then I sees him: a red-headed midget with a harelip. He’s the one all right, all right.
Attitude of witness: Talkative.
“That leaves him out,” Dickory continued. “Angus Stumpf couldn’t have been riding up in the elevator and stealing the bracelet at the same time. But he was standing next to the mail slot—maybe he’s an accomplice.”
“I doubt that, Sergeant. It would be too dangerous a caper for more than one person. No, I’m quite certain my clever thief did it alone. Next?”
“HORTENSE FREEMARTIN, bookkeeper at the S & S Sausage Company.
Reason for being on premises: to look at the Empress Fatima bracelet.
Location at time of robbery: looking at the Empress Fatima bracelet.
Testimony: I was looking at the Empress Fatima bracelet. I glanced up when the President of the United States came in. Then the alarm went off, right next to me. I nearly had a heart attack I was so scared. The next thing I saw was a midget run by. I’m sure I saw him, red hair, harelip, and all.
Attitude of witness: Nervous.
“The President of the United States?” Dickory reached for the haystack of rejected photographs.
“Obviously a diversionary tactic by my thief to draw attention away from the glass display case. Go on, Sergeant.”
“This is the young guy in the zippered jacket and no tie.
“JOACHIM NESSELRODE, delivery boy for the Quickee Coffee Shoppee.
Reason for being on premises: delivering six cofees—five regular, one black; and four Danishes—three cheese, one prune.
Location at time of robbery: can’t remember.
Testimony: First I see the President of the United States. Then I hear a loud alarm, like a fire, I think. Then I look for a midget with red hair and a hairy lip. Then I see him, then I don’t.
Attitude of witness: Cooperative. Possibly mentally deficient.
“What a perfect disguise,” Dickory added.
“Too perfect.” Noserag waved at her to continue.
“F. (Frederick) K. (Kurt) OPALMEYER, owner of Opalmeyer Jewelers.
Reason for being on premises: owns the place.
Location at time of robbery: checking on the Empress Fatima bracelet.
Testimony: I went to the display case to check on the bracelet. It was still there when someone shouted, “Good afternoon, Mr. President.” I looked up, since I’m the president of Opalmeyer Jewelers. Suddenly, I heard glass breaking and the alarm went off. I looked down at the case; the bracelet was gone. Gone, oh me, oh my! (blows nose, wipes eyes) . Excuse me. Then I thought I saw the thief dodging through the crowd. I ran after him, but he disappeared. Red hair. Harelip. A midget, he must have been a midget, else how could he steal the bracelet without being seen? The bracelet, the beautiful bracelet. It was my dumb brother-in-law’s idea to borrow it in the first place. Free publicity, he said. Some publicity, I could do without such publicity. A two-million-dollar bracelet, stolen in my own shop, under my very nose. Why did it have to happen to me. What have I done to deserve such a fate?
Attitude of witness: Depressed.
Note: brother-in-law in Europe on business.
“I still think the delivery boy did it,” Dickory said. “And I live in a tenement, so it’s not class snobbery.”
Inspector Noserag accepted the fact that a police sergeant could live in a tenement. He puffed and puffed and hmmmed and hmmmed. Suddenly he sprung from his chair. “I must call Quinn immediately.”
Dickory grabbed the deerstalker hat from his head just in time. “Hello, Chief? Garson here. I’ve got your man. I know who stole the Empress Fatima bracelet.”
“Who?”
“Hang on to your chair, Chief. It was F. K. Opalmeyer.”
“Really?”
“And he mailed the bracelet to himself, probably to his home address. If I were you, I’d get a search warrant before Opalmeyer skips town.”
“I’ll do that. Thanks, Garson. And if you’re right, I’m coming over to congratulate you and find out how you did it. Maybe I can learn
Attitude of witness: Talkative.
“That leaves him out,” Dickory continued. “Angus Stumpf couldn’t have been riding up in the elevator and stealing the bracelet at the same time. But he was standing next to the mail slot—maybe he’s an accomplice.”
“I doubt that, Sergeant. It would be too dangerous a caper for more than one person. No, I’m quite certain my clever thief did it alone. Next?”
“HORTENSE FREEMARTIN, bookkeeper at the S & S Sausage Company.
Reason for being on premises: to look at the Empress Fatima bracelet.
Location at time of robbery: looking at the Empress Fatima bracelet.
Testimony: I was looking at the Empress Fatima bracelet. I glanced up when the President of the United States came in. Then the alarm went off, right next to me. I nearly had a heart attack I was so scared. The next thing I saw was a midget run by. I’m sure I saw him, red hair, harelip, and all.
Attitude of witness: Nervous.
“The President of the United States?” Dickory reached for the haystack of rejected photographs.
“Obviously a diversionary tactic by my thief to draw attention away from the glass display case. Go on, Sergeant.”
“This is the young guy in the zippered jacket and no tie.
“JOACHIM NESSELRODE, delivery boy for the Quickee Coffee Shoppee.
Reason for being on premises: delivering six cofees—five regular, one black; and four Danishes—three cheese, one prune.
Location at time of robbery: can’t remember.
Testimony: First I see the President of the United States. Then I hear a loud alarm, like a fire, I think. Then I look for a midget with red hair and a hairy lip. Then I see him, then I don’t.
Attitude of witness: Cooperative. Possibly mentally deficient.
“What a perfect disguise,” Dickory added.
“Too perfect.” Noserag waved at her to continue.
“F. (Frederick) K. (Kurt) OPALMEYER, owner of Opalmeyer Jewelers.
Reason for being on premises: owns the place.
Location at time of robbery: checking on the Empress Fatima bracelet.
Testimony: I went to the display case to check on the bracelet. It was still there when someone shouted, “Good afternoon, Mr. President.” I looked up, since I’m the president of Opalmeyer Jewelers. Suddenly, I heard glass breaking and the alarm went off. I looked down at the case; the bracelet was gone. Gone, oh me, oh my! (blows nose, wipes eyes) . Excuse me. Then I thought I saw the thief dodging through the crowd. I ran after him, but he disappeared. Red hair. Harelip. A midget, he must have been a midget, else how could he steal the bracelet without being seen? The bracelet, the beautiful bracelet. It was my dumb brother-in-law’s idea to borrow it in the first place. Free publicity, he said. Some publicity, I could do without such publicity. A two-million-dollar bracelet, stolen in my own shop, under my very nose. Why did it have to happen to me. What have I done to deserve such a fate?
Attitude of witness: Depressed.
Note: brother-in-law in Europe on business.
“I still think the delivery boy did it,” Dickory said. “And I live in a tenement, so it’s not class snobbery.”
Inspector Noserag accepted the fact that a police sergeant could live in a tenement. He puffed and puffed and hmmmed and hmmmed. Suddenly he sprung from his chair. “I must call Quinn immediately.”
Dickory grabbed the deerstalker hat from his head just in time. “Hello, Chief? Garson here. I’ve got your man. I know who stole the Empress Fatima bracelet.”
“Who?”
“Hang on to your chair, Chief. It was F. K. Opalmeyer.”
“Really?”
“And he mailed the bracelet to himself, probably to his home address. If I were you, I’d get a search warrant before Opalmeyer skips town.”
“I’ll do that. Thanks, Garson. And if you’re right, I’m coming over to congratulate you and find out how you did it. Maybe I can learn
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