"Red clay!" repeated Drek sharply. "And the corpse was found by Mr. Chaskin in the Winding Lane."
"What of that?" asked Paul, curiously.
"Simply this: that red clay is found in the Winding Lane, and owing to the late rain there is a good deal of mud about there. Dr. Lester must have been in the Winding Lane last night."
"An' so was Miss Milly," cried Eliza; "they found 'er remains there."
There was silence for a few moments, and the three people looked at one another. All the evidence seemed to prove the guilt of Dr. Lester. He had gone out mad with drink and angry with the dead girl; he had taken with him a pistol, and Milly had been murdered by such a weapon; finally, his clothes were covered with red mud, which was most plentiful in the neighbourhood where the corpse had been found. On this circumstantial evidence it would seem that Dr. Lester had killed his own daughter in a fit of drunken frenzy. This discovery added to the horror of the crime.
"My girl," said the inspector after a pause, "have you spoken of this to any one else?"
"No, sir; I swear as I 'asn't breathed a word."
"Then don't breathe a word till I tell you," said Drek shortly. "You can go now--and hold your tongue. Wait!" he added, with an afterthought, "where are the clothes Dr. Lester wore last night?"
"I can get them, sir; they are in 'is bedroom."
"Bring them at once to the consulting-room."