Again Rolfe had to admit that his chief's plan to get at the truth was an
ideal one.

"Have you any idea who he is?" he asked.

Inspector Chippenfield had brought his methods too near to perfection to
make it possible for him to fall into an open trap.

"I won't be very long putting my hand on him," he said.

"But this thing has been in the papers," said Rolfe. "Don't you think the
murderer will bolt out of the country when he knows his mate is prepared
to turn King's evidence against him?"

"Ah," said Inspector Chippenfield, "I haven't adopted your theory."

"Then you think that the man who wrote this note knew of the murder but
doesn't know who did it?"

"Now you are going too far," said Inspector Chippenfield.

The inspector was so wary about disclosing what was in his mind in regard
to the letter that Rolfe, who disliked his chief very cordially, jumped
to the conclusion that Inspector Chippenfield had no intelligible ideas
concerning it.

"If it was burglars they took nothing as far as we can ascertain up to
the present," said Inspector Chippenfield after a pause.

"They were surprised to find anyone in the house. And after the shot was