“He had removed the mask for a moment when Leloir, who had left the room, returned, and saw reflected in a looking-glass his master removing his own face. Klein, hearing the footstep of Leloir, turned.
“The expression on Klein’s face at that moment is preserved for us in the retinal photograph taken from the eye of the valet, who, beholding this monstrosity, gave vent to the awful cry heard by the secretary and fell dead.
“Klein, in his hurry and the confusion caused by this incident, collected all the jewellery he could find. Having no immediate plan he thought it safest to leave his victim’s head behind him, trusting it would not be discovered for some time. He passed the night at Howland Street, going there disguised as Gyde. Next morning, early, under the same disguise, he withdrew the jewels at the bank and cashed the cheque at the jewellers. It was a cheque he had found in the pocket of his victim, and he cashed it, not so much for the money as to foul his traces and prove to the police, by extra evidence, the existence of Gyde.
“Then he destroyed the mask and became Klein again, taking the house in St Ann’s Road, and moving in there with a few sticks of furniture hastily bought.
“Mr Goldberg’s murder followed.
“Then this gentleman, Mr Hellier, saw him and followed him. And Klein suspected that he was at last suspected.
“He determined to disguise himself. How? Simply by becoming his own age.
“He flung away all artifice, and became the old man he was. The removal of his false teeth alone gave him twenty years of age.
“He took the cottage at Sonning, determining to lie close. But the murder instinct was too strong for him, and he killed Bronson.”
Then Freyberger told his own story.