Page:Burton Stevenson--The marathon mystery.djvu/77

Rh Croydons, and should not be difficult. (Note—Ask Delaney to look up the family.)

3.—To discover the murderer.

“This last,” continued Godfrey, gazing contemplatively at his paper, “is, of course, the most important; indeed, it is the object of the other two. Now, let us see what we know about this mysterious individual,” and he turned another page.

1.—He must have been in apartment fourteen before Miss Croydon’s arrival, otherwise he could not have gained access to the bedroom unseen. (This shuts out Jimmy the Dude.)

2.—Therefore he was a friend or at least an acquaintance of Thompson’s, since it is impossible that he could have been there without Thompson’s knowledge.

3.—But if Thompson consented to his overhearing the interview, he must have expected some help from him.

4.—Yet he was not in the apartment at seven o’clock when Higgins put Thompson to bed.

5.—But Higgins says that no one entered after that except Miss Croydon. (Higgins may, of course, be mistaken.)

6.—Something which occurs during the interview arouses the unknown’s anger. He picks up a piece of pipe (we must discover where he got it) and steals out upon Thompson and knocks him down. If it was merely to protect Miss Croydon, that would have sufficed, but instead he coolly draws a pistol and kills