Ashton-Kirk, Investigator · Chapter
Stillman Asks Questions explained
Coroner Stillman interviews three witnesses about the murder of David Purtell Hume: Mrs.
What happens
Coroner Stillman interviews three witnesses about the murder of David Purtell Hume: Mrs. Dwyer, the scrubwoman who discovered the body; Isidore Brolatsky, Hume's clerk; and Franz Berg, a local delicatessen dealer. Brolatsky reveals Hume's obsessive collection of portraits of General Anthony Wayne and mentions Antonio Spatola, an Italian violinist who was seen entering Hume's building around eleven o'clock the night before. Pendleton shares his suspicions connecting Edyth Vale, Allan Morris, and the murder.
Themes in this chapter
Detective Method and Reasoning
Stillman's systematic questioning of witnesses and Ashton-Kirk's attentive observation illustrate methodical investigative techniques.
Secrecy and Deception
Pendleton's suspicions about Edyth Vale's disappearance and Allan Morris's connection to Hume hint at hidden truths and deceptive appearances.
Characters to notice
- Mr. Stillman
Coroner Stillman conducts formal interviews with witnesses, seeking to gather all possible information about the murder.
- Ashton Kirk
Ashton-Kirk observes the interviews silently, showing keen interest when Brolatsky mentions Hume's collection of General Wayne portraits.
- Pendleton
Pendleton accompanies Ashton-Kirk and later shares his suspicions linking Edyth Vale, Allan Morris, and the murder.
- Mrs. Dwyer
The scrubwoman who discovered Hume's body; she testifies about finding the door open and seeing Hume lying dead.
- Mr. Brolatsky
Hume's clerk, a medical student, who reveals Hume's difficult personality, his collection of General Wayne portraits, and identifies Antonio Spatola.
- Mr. Berg
A delicatessen dealer who saw Antonio Spatola enter Hume's building around eleven o'clock the night of the murder.
Key passages
“I perhaps take more trouble than is customary in these cases. It is usual to hear statements, I believe, only when they are proffered as testimony at the inquest. But it seems to me that the office should be carried on in a more thorough way. Preparation, I think, is necessary to get at the facts.”
Stillman explains that he goes beyond standard procedure by interviewing witnesses before the inquest, believing thorough preparation is essential to uncovering the truth.
Stillman emphasizes his meticulous approach to investigation.
“He did have a collection that he called his own. And he never sold an item from it as long as I was with him. Indeed, I think if anybody had offered to buy, he would have come to blows with him.”
Brolatsky reveals that Hume had a personal collection of portraits of General Wayne that he treasured and would never sell.
This detail provides a potential motive or clue related to Hume's character.
“I don't claim that these things have anything to do with each other. But, somehow, they've got together in my mind, and I can't—”
Pendleton admits he cannot dismiss the coincidences linking Edyth Vale, Allan Morris, and the murder, even though he is unsure of their significance.
Pendleton's intuition foreshadows a possible connection between the characters.