But now--what about the
information he gave you? This man he saw?"
Drillford shook his head.
"Mr. Viner," he answered, "you don't understand police methods. We've got
very strong evidence against Hyde. We know nothing about a tall man in a
white muffler. If you want to clear Hyde, you'd better do what he
suggested--find that man! I wish you may--if he ever existed!"
"You don't believe Hyde?" asked Viner.
"I'm not required to believe anything, sir, unless I've good proof of
it," said Drillford with a significant smile. "If there is any mystery in
this murder, well--let's hope something will clear it up."
Viner went away troubled and thoughtful. He remembered Hyde well enough
now, though so many years had elapsed since their last meeting. And he
was genuinely convinced of his innocence: there had been a ring of truth
in all that he had said. Who, then, was the guilty man? And had robbery
been the real motive of the murder? Might it not have been that Ashton
had been murdered for some quite different motive, and that the murderer
had hastily removed the watch, chain, purse, and rings from the body
with the idea of diverting suspicion, and in his haste had dropped one of
the rings?
"If only one knew more about Ashton and his affairs!" mused Viner.
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