If you knew her as well as I do, Kirk, you'd
realize that it's just the sort of thing she'd do. But," positively,
"she did not find him there."
"What makes you think that? There was still one of Hume's visitors
left, when she got there. It may have been Morris."
"It was Spatola," answered Pendleton, with conviction. "The scream of
the cockatoo which came from Hume's rooms when the pistol was
discharged proves it. When Spatola went in, Berg said he was carrying
something under his coat. Brolatsky told the coroner this morning that
the Italian sometimes brought his trained birds with him when he
called at Hume's. That's what he had last night."
But Ashton-Kirk shook his head.
"At this time," he said, "it will scarcely do to be positive on some
things. Indications are plenty, but they must be worked out. I have
some theories of my own upon the very point that you have just
covered, but I will not venture a decided statement until I have
proven them to the limit. It's the only safe way."
Pendleton discontentedly hitched forward in his chair.
"I thought," said he, "that you worked entirely by putting this and
that together."
"That is precisely what I do," returned Ashton-Kirk. "But I have
found, through experience, that there must be no loose ends left to
hang.
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