Thus encouraged Stenness wasted no time.
“When Neville Shandon looked into the room before going to the Maze, he had a sheaf of papers in his hand. When I examined his body I noticed a scrap of paper—a torn bit. I could read ‘Hackl . . .’ on it in Neville’s writing, and a few other words as well.”
“That’s quite correct,” interrupted Sir Clinton, “I have it in my pocket-book. And you infer . . . ?”
“I infer that that scrap is all that remains of his notes for his cross-examination of Hackleton which was to come off this week.”
“In other words, you think someone in Hackleton’s pay is the murderer; and the intention was to put Neville Shandon out of the case finally?”
“That’s your statement, not mine,” said Stenness, suddenly becoming cautious. “But it’s been done before now.”
Sir Clinton nodded.
“You’re thinking of the shooting of Labori in the Dreyfus case, I suppose?”
“That would be a parallel case to the one you sketched.”
“And the notes might be useful to Hackleton’s side as showing the probable line of attack beforehand?”