“So much for Jack Fairfax’s case—pretty black, as you will agree. In fact, I don’t think I should be exaggerating if I said that there were only two people in England convinced of his innocence. And he was one of them. Even Joan’s faith was shaken, a little.
“It was on the tenth day after the inquest that I rang up the inspector who had come over from Exeter to look into the case, with a request that he would come up to the house. I told him that I had certain information which might interest him and suggested that he might care to hear it. I also rang up Lenham at the inn, and asked him if he would mind coming along at the same time. I told him I’d discovered the burglar. By the way, I didn’t tell you that it was his room that had been burgled.
“In about half an hour they arrived, and the local sergeant as well.
“ ‘What’s this about my burglar?’ laughed Lenham. ‘A funny fellow—because as far as I can see he didn’t take anything.’
“ ‘All in good time,’ I answered, smiling. ‘I’ve found out a lot of strange things in town.’
“Lenham looked at me quickly. ‘Oh! have you been to London?’ he inquired.
“ ‘Yes,’ I answered, ‘for two days. Most entertaining.’
“And then the inspector chipped in, impatiently:
“ ‘Well, sir, what is it you want to say to me?’ He looked at his watch suggestively.
“ ‘First of all, inspector,’ I said, quietly, ‘I want to ask you a question. Have you ever heard the legal maxim, Falsus in uno, falsus in omne?’