"And you saw that report, and never thought to mention that there was a curious circumstance attached to it! Why wasn't I shown it?"
"You could have seen it if you'd asked for it. There just wasn't anything to it. We'd established that the case belonged to Stephen Herriard; the experts didn't find any finger-prints on it; and that's all there was to it."
"I should have known better than to have taken anyone's word for it!" said Hemingway in bitter accents. "Didn't it strike you that it was highly unusual, not to say suspicious, that there weren't any finger-prints on the case?"
"I suppose," said Colwall, whose brain moved slowly, "it must have been wiped."
"Yes," retorted Hemingway. "That's just what I suppose, too! And if you think young Herriard dropped it, all accidental-like, first taking the precaution of wiping his finger-prints off it, all I can say is that you've got a nice, unsuspicious nature, Inspector!"
Colwall bridled a little at this, but as the inference of Hemingway's words sank into his mind, he flushed, and said: "Of course, it's your business to spot things like that. I don't deny that what with one thing and another it just didn't occur to me that it was funny, not finding any prints on the case. Couldn't have got wiped off in young Herriard's pocket, could they?"
"No," Hemingway said positively. "They might have got a bit blurred, but you'd be bound to find some trace. Ever cleaned a bit of silver, and tried to get your own finger-prints Off it? It takes some elbow-grease, I give you my word."
"That's right, it does," nodded Colwall "Same with brasswork. But this was a gold case. One of those large, flat ones, with a monogram on it."
"I ought to have had a look at it in the first place," Hemingway said, annoyed with himself. "Come on! Let's go and have a talk with your expert!"
But no expert was needed to convince him that the cigarette-case had been wiped clean of all betraying marks. It was still held in the crutch in which it had been placed upon discovery, and its smooth golden surface showed no smudge or blemish.