“I know all that—but then—he might have slipped away, and in the excitement you didn’t notice——”
“Not a chance! No, take my word for it, the three Wheelers are the exclusive suspects—unless we can work in that bugler individual.”
“It’s too many for me,” Burdon sighed. “And Hallen, he’s at his wit’s end. But you’re clever at such things, sir, and Mr. Appleby, he’s going to get a big detective from the city.”
“You don’t seem to mind being discarded!”
“No, sir. If anybody’s to fasten a crime on one of those Wheelers, I don’t want to be the one to do it.”
“Look here, Burdon, how about Wheeler’s doing it in self-defence? I know a lot about those two men, and Appleby was just as much interested in getting Wheeler out of his way as vice versa. If Appleby attacked and Wheeler defended, we can get him off easy.”
“Maybe so, but it’s all speculation, Mr. Keefe. What we ought to get is evidence—testimony—and that’s hard, for the only people to ask about it are——”
“Are the criminals themselves.”
“The suspected criminals—yes, sir.”
“There are others. Have you quizzed all the servants?”