"What are you going to do with it?" asked Colwall.
"Give it back to young Stephen," replied Hemingway coolly.
"Give it back to him?"
"That's right. Then I'll sit back to watch results."
"What results do you expect?" asked Colwall, out of his depth.
"I haven't the least idea, but I hope they'll be helpful, because this case is beginning to get on my nerves."
"Yes, but I don't see -"
"Up to now," interrupted Hemingway, "it must have been obvious to one and all that the hot favourite for the nine-o'clock-in-the-morning stakes was young Herriard, which was a highly satisfactory state of affairs for the real murderer, not calling for any exertion on his part. All he had to do was to lie low, and act natural. Well, now I'm going to let it be deduced that I don't fancy Stephen after all. Throwing the lead, so to speak. If I know anything about the minds of murderers, I ought to get some interesting reactions."
Chapter Fourteen
The Sergeant, returning from his visit to Galloway's cottage, came in with a face of settled gloom, and told his chief that it was just as they had feared. Galloway had taken the key home with him, and it was even now hanging up on one of the hooks of his kitchen-dresser.