"Merely an idea of mine. I'll tell you later on what I think."
"You are keeping me very much in the dark, Blair," said Alan, somewhat piqued.
"I don't care to show incomplete work," replied the inspector bluntly. "I believe I can unravel the whole of this mystery, but I don't want to show you the raw material. Let me work it out my own way, Mr. Thorold, and judge me by the result."
"As you please. So long as you do it, I don't care how you go about it."
"I am working for two thousand pounds," said Blair, "and I don't intend to let any one else have it. That blackguard tramp would like to be the man."
Alan laughed.
"He has already made a clutch at it by accusing me of the theft of Mr. Marlow's body."
The inspector nodded and smiled grimly.
"The two are working in unison," said he, rubbing his hands; "but I'll catch them."
"By the way," said Thorold, "is Mr. Marlow coming back here?"