"You have overlooked the possibility of this having been placed in the
dying man's hand to deceive us," said the inspector.

"If the intention was to mislead us it wouldn't have been placed where it
might have been overlooked."

As the inspector had overlooked the presence of the scrap of handkerchief
in the dead man's hand, he felt that he was not making much progress with
the work of keeping his subordinate in his place.

"Well, it is a clue of a sort," he said. "The trouble is that we have
too many clues. I wish we knew which is the right one. Anyway, it knocks
over your theory of a burglary," he added in a tone of satisfaction.

"Yes," Rolfe admitted. "That goes by the board."




CHAPTER V


"What is your name?"

"James Hill, sir."

"That is an alias. What is your real name?" Inspector Chippenfield glared
fiercely at the butler in order to impress upon him the fact that
subterfuge was useless.