Then, still without speaking, he pointed the way to his private office, ushered the lads in, closed and locked the door.
"Well?" he said, then.
"Will you send for the Coroner?" asked Ned.
"So Scott is dead?"
"Yes."
"Why did you kill him?"
Before opening his mouth to reply, Ned caught sight of a dark stain on the arm of the chair in which he was seated.
"Have you a microscope handy?" he asked.
The chief opened his eyes in amazement.
The question, coming at that time, seemed almost the raving of a mad man. This is the view the chief took of it, and he decided to conciliate the maniac.