The Dutch Shoe Mystery

“Q. ‘You left your hotel at 5:30, getting to the station at about 6:00. Yet you didn’t get back to your hotel until after 9:00... You don’t mean to tell me that it took you three hours to cancel a railroad reservation which could have been done just as easily by telephone!’ A. ‘It took only a few minutes, naturally. I left Grand Central and took a long walk up Fifth Avenue and in Central Park. I was depressed. Needed air. Wanted to be alone.’ Q. ‘How is it then that you hailed a cab outside Grand Central to take you home, if you were in Central Park?’ A. ‘I walked back part of the way, but I felt too tired to continue on foot.’ Q. ‘In this walk of yours, Doctor, did you meet any one or stop to talk to any one who might verify your story? A. ‘No.’

“Q. by Mr. Ellery Queen: ‘You’re a man of intelligence, Doctor, now, aren’t you?’ A. ‘That’s my reputation.’ Q. ‘Well deserved, Dr. Janney, very well deserved. Now how does the following analysis strike this acute mentality of yours? — You are, let us say, impersonated in the Hospital for a brief period. In order to impersonate you it is essential for the impersonator to remove you temporarily from the scene. Lo and behold! a gentleman named Swanson comes to call on you about five minutes before the great impersonation is scheduled to begin, takes up your time for the entire period during which Abigail Doorn is being eased out of this world, and then releases you when the impersonator presumably has had a chance to escape... I say, how does this strike your intelligence?’ A. ‘Purely coincidental! Can’t be anything more. I told you my visitor had nothing to do with this confounded business!’

“Janney, on being definitely warned that unless he discloses Swanson’s identity he will be held in large bail by the police as a material witness, remained silent. Exhibited facial indications of worry, however.

“CONCLUSION: There can be little question of the possibilities. Janney lied when he said he spent the time from 6:00 to 9:00 strolling about the streets. It is fairly certain that he did purchase a ticket to some unknown destination, probably near to New York (at the Lower Level of the station) and that he did entrain for this unknown destination. We are now working on all outgoing trains at approximately the correct hour in an effort to discover a conductor or passenger who can identify Dr. Janney as a traveler on the train during the significant hours. Nothing on this score as yet.

“The holding of Dr. Janney without definite evidence that he has lied (identification on the train would be such evidence) will accomplish nothing. In any event, even with identification the arrest of Janney would be useless unless it leads to the appearance of Swanson. It is not at all unlikely that this entire Swanson incident has assumed, due to Janney’s stubbornness and ‘principles,’ a greater importance than it actually deserves. We have nothing against Janney except his withholding a material witness.”