"Do I look like a man who would commit murder?" he asked.
"No, you do not," was the prompt response. His recital of the story was similar to that of Hatch, but the scientist listened carefully.
"Details! details!" he interrupted once.
The story was complete from the moment Curtis jumped out of the car until the return to the hotel of Curtis and Reid. There the narrator stopped.
"Mr. Curtis, why did you try to induce Dr. Leonard to give up the knife to you?" asked The Thinking Machine, finally.
"Because--well, because----" He faltered, flushed and stopped.
"Because you were afraid it would bring the crime home to you?" asked the scientist.
"I didn't know _what_ might happen," was the response.
"Is it your knife?"
Again the tell-tale flush overspread Curtis's face.