Page:The Millbank Case - 1905 - Eldridge.djvu/125

 my murder, though some folks may wish it was before many hours have passed."

Before daylight, he had his operatives on hand while he himself took the early train back to Millbank. The delicate work just now was to be done there, and this he would trust to no one save himself. His appreciation of the importance of the case and the sensation that would be produced when it was finally unravelled, had increased immensely since he crossed Millbank Bridge, and he had no purpose to see it botched by clumsy handling.

After breakfast he went directly to Mr. Wing's office and sought an interview with Mr. McManus.

"I want," he said, "to go through all the papers again in Wing's safe and, if you have any private papers of his, through those as well. So far, we are absolutely adrift and we have a double task on our hands, for we've got to clear Oldbeg of suspicion as well as discover the real murderer."

"Then you dismiss all suspicion that Oldbeg had anything to do with the murder?"

"If you can dismiss an idea you never entertained. In a certain sense every man in town was