“Suppose, sergeant,” said Derrick thoughtfully, “that I should decide not to lay any charge against Blunt after all.”
The big man blinked. “I don’t quite follow you, sir. What’s to be gained by acting like that?”
“I can’t say yet, but do you honestly think there’s any chance of really proving anything serious now against these two men?”
“There’s a good working chance, but I fancy a jury would be as much puzzled as we’ve been, and probably more. You never can tell about a jury.”
“Then I particularly ask that no charge be laid against either of them till I have had a talk with both. I admit, and you’ve said it, too, that all our suspicions were wrong and unfounded. We were working hard, but only playing about on the edge of the truth. Now we have heard a confession of the act from lips where we never expected to find it, and the person who committed the murder has gone before another court. Our discovery, which has led to this, was a matter of chance, and we were on a false trail from the start.”
“I admit that, sir, but you did all the guessing. The only thing we had in common was our suspicion of Martin.”
“That’s true, and I’ll shoulder whatever blame attaches to it. But, officially, the net result is that you have cleared up the mystery of the Millicent murder, and after every one else had failed. You mustn’t forget, sergeant, that so far as any one else is concerned I’m merely an onlooker. I congratulate you, Burke. It ought to mean promotion.”
The other man indulged in a broad smile. He had had no time to think about promotion yet, but the prospect was distinctly rosy. “That’s very good of you, sir, and this certainly ought to help.”
“So that now the matter of Blunt’s escape does not seem very serious?”
“Well, sir, Dr. Henry told me enough about that trick to show that it’s fooled a good many wiser men than me. It has proved not to be important after all, and I don’t think it will be brought up against me. Is there anything you want me for now?”