"Well," shrugging his shoulders, "I am going on a forlorn hope. Mrs. Taunton may have it."
"Nonsense," said Foster, incredulously.
"I dare say it is--but still there is a chance that Verschoyle, when going to Australia, left some of his papers behind; a man does not care about dragging a lot of luggage all over the world, and it is very likely that Mrs. Taunton has some of her brother's things to look after, till he returned."
"And if this paper is among the things?"
"In that case," observed the detective; "we must get some writing of Mrs. Verschoyle, and compare the two; if they correspond, we shall have strong evidence that she is the criminal."
"And then?"
"Then I will go out to Malta, and see if I can ascertain her movements on the night in question. By the way," to Ronald, "what date was it you left Malta?"
"I think it was the 13th of June."
"Thank you," replied Roper, noting it in his pocket-book; "then I want to find out where she was on the 13th of June between seven and nine o'clock p.m."
"But instead of you going to Malta, why couldn't Monteith ask Miss Cotoner?"