“Couldn’t you find him?” inquired Mr. Miles.
“Certainly. That’s what made it so hard to prove anything against him. He was the smoothest kind, all nerve and calculation.”
“How do you know he took them?”
“Didn’t you ever know anything you couldn’t prove?” replied the doctor slowly. “I knew who stole those gems the instant I found them missing. Immediately I saw his excellent qualities in a new light. He was an extremely clever hypocrite.”
“Did you meet him afterward?”
“No, I never saw him again. I put it up to the police. I told them of my suspicions, but couldn’t give them any information that tended to fasten guilt on Maxwell any more than on anybody else.”
“Maxwell was his name?”
“Yes. The police worked a while on the case, but gradually gave it up. Then I wrote to Maxwell and informed him plainly where my suspicion rested.
“He wrote a reply full of indignation and reproach, but it didn’t ring true. I’ve noticed the smartest rascals seem to be unable to seem entirely innocent when they know they are suspected. It’s a remarkable study, criminology. And yet, it’s as simple as A-B-C.”
“In what way?”