to me that after Marbury left Aylmore he probably mooned about by
himself, that he was decoyed into the Temple, and was there murdered
and robbed. There are a lot of queer ins and outs, nooks and corners in
that old spot, Mr. Spargo, and the murderer, if he knew his ground
well, could easily hide himself until he could get away in the morning.
He might be a man who had access to chambers or offices--think how easy
it would be for such a man, having once killed and robbed his victim,
to lie hid for hours afterwards? For aught we know, the man who
murdered Marbury may have been within twenty feet of you when you first
saw his dead body that morning. Eh?"

Before Spargo could reply to this suggestion an official entered the
room and whispered a few words in the detective's ear.

"Show him in at once," said Rathbury. He turned to Spargo as the man
quitted the room and smiled significantly. "Here's somebody wants to
tell something about the Marbury case," he remarked. "Let's hope it'll
be news worth hearing."

Spargo smiled in his queer fashion.

"It strikes me that you've only got to interest an inquisitive public
in order to get news," he said. "The principal thing is to investigate
it when you've got it. Who's this, now?"

The official had returned with a dapper-looking gentleman in a
frock-coat and silk hat, bearing upon him the unmistakable stamp of the
city man, who inspected Rathbury with deliberation and Spargo with a
glance, and being seated turned to the detective as undoubtedly the
person he desired to converse with.