"Why not?" asked Darrel rather obtusely.
"Because he would have run the risk of arrest, and his real name--which, obviously, he was anxious to conceal--would have come out. No, Mr. Darrel, the dead man had some valuable object, or perhaps, some money, in his possession, and carried the revolver to protect himself against possible robbery; and that supposition," concluded the detective, rubbing his plump knees "efbrings me to my theory."
"To your theory?"
Torry pointed to the image held by Darrel, "To be precise I should say to my clue--the clue of the Blue Mummy."
"I don't quite see how you bring this into the matter."
"Well," said Torry, "it is all theory, I admit; but my belief is this: The red-haired man carried some valuables, money, jewels, or papers, to the woman in Mortality-lane. When he delivered up the jewel--for the sake of clearness we'll say jewel--she gave him the Blue Mummy."
"Why?"
"As a kind of receipt, I suppose. Red-hair took the image in his right hand intending to put it into his pocket. At that moment, having the jewel in her possession, the woman struck at him with the knife she carried, and he, thrusting out his left hand to protect himself, caught at and tore the lace of her mantle. Naturally, as he had received his death-wound--he was stabbed to the heart, you know--the Blue Mummy fell from his clasp and was found on the ground near his body."
"Very ingenious," admitted Darrel sceptically, "But pure theory."
"No doubt. Every detective must theorise to some extent, in order to have a basis to work on. But you must admit that my theory is a feasible one."