3
AS I turned down the last flight my eyes fell upon a great crowd of people
in the lower hall. They were wedged into it like sardines and my first glance told me that they were not young and active enough to be reporters, as I had feared. As midway on the stairs I stood staring at them in perplexity, a man separated himself from them and made straight for me as if directed.
"I'm Coroner Halsperg, in charge of this case," he stated. "Can you tell me if the deceased is a relative of General Alster's?"
"She was a cousin, I believe," I responded.
"Ah, I thought so I" he exclaimed with satisfaction. "And I understand he is here. Will you arrange so that I may have a few words with him?"
I led him upstairs and called General Alster out into the hall.
Wondering how a coroner's jury should
