“For whom?” asked Whiting.
“Landon, of course. He knows all that scientific jargon. He’s a college man,——”
“He never was graduated,” said Judge Hoyt.
“No matter; he gathered up enough Latin words to know names and things. Or he looked them up on purpose. Then he set the milk bottle trap,—what happens? Do the things crawl in?”
“Yes,” said Hoyt. “Attracted by the odor of the drug, and the molasses, they crawl to the edge, tumble in, and can’t get out.”
“H’m, well, Landon knows all this, and he sets the trap and baits his uncle as well as the beetles. He tempts him with a promise of this Stephanotis bug, and off goes uncle, willingly. Then Landon meets him there, or goes with him,—it’s all one,—and he stabs him, and Mr. Trowbridge lives long enough, thank goodness,—to say Kane killed me! You can’t get away from that speech, Mr. Whiting. If there hadn’t been any suspect named Kane, we might say Mr. Trowbridge meant Cain,—any murderer. But with the only real suspect bearing that very name, it’s too absurd to look any further. Then the murderer having thoughtfully provided himself with a handkerchief belonging to the next possible suspect, wipes the bloody blade on that and throws it where it’ll be found. Could anything be clearer? Who wants money right away? Who has just quarreled with the victim? Who is impudent and insolent when questioned about it? Who is now enjoying his ill-gotten gains, and has already used a lot of money for the purpose he told his uncle about that first day he saw him? Answer all those questions, and then doubt, if you can, who murdered Rowland Trowbridge!”
Groot spoke quietly, but forcibly, and all present realized there was no answer save the one he indicated.
Judge Hoyt looked aghast. “It’s incredible!” he exclaimed. “Kane Landon——”
“You mean any other theory or suspicion is incredible, Judge,” said Whiting. “I have thought this was the only solution for some time. I have had a strict watch kept on Landon’s movements, and he has spent that money, as Groot says. In every way he seems guilty of this crime and I say the time has come to arrest him.”
And so Kane Landon was arrested for the murder of his uncle, Rowland Trowbridge, and was taken to The Tombs.