The murderer could easily have waited
until he had gone and then slipped out, also locking the door after
him."
Miss Vale sat staring at the speaker dumbly for a space; then she
asked in a dry, expressionless way:
"And do you really think this is what happened?"
Ashton-Kirk shook his head.
"No," said he. "I merely mentioned it to show you that it is difficult
to be sure of anything in a matter like this until," with a smile,
"you _are_ sure. It is one of the things that may have happened; but
it is also open to question. A criminal whose crime has been
discovered does not ordinarily linger upon the scene. You had just
fled with the terror of the thing fresh upon you. How did he know but
that you might scream it out to everyone you met."
Again she looked at him mutely. Then she said:
"What, then, is your theory of the crime?"
"I have a number of possibilities at this moment," he said. "Of
course, there is one to which I give the preference; but until a thing
is proven beyond question, it is my rule never to outline my
theories."
Before Miss Vale left she had implored him to do all he could to clear
the matter up, for her sake and for Morris's. "Of course," she said in
conclusion, "I now understand that the entire matter will get into the
papers.
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