"I think this," he replied: "it's an even chance he did. If he didn't, it's a sure thing that his being accused of it and locked up for it may make the real criminal more careless and give us a better chance to catch him."
"Yes; you're right. What reports have you had on the mysterious man Withers says he saw, the fellow with the long-visored cap, long raincoat, and gold tooth?"
"A little something. Jenkins has scoured the town pretty well in the time he had, A clerk at Maplewood Inn thinks—thinks—he saw such a man in the lobby there about three weeks ago. And one of our patrolmen, Ashurst, says he's pretty certain he saw him two months ago near here, in fact down on Freeman Avenue near where Manniston Road branches off from it. It was at night, nearly midnight."
"Did Ashurst watch him?"
"Only carelessly. Says he saw him walk on down Freeman Avenue as if he intended going into the town."
"What did the clerk see? What did this fellow do in the Maplewood Inn lobby?"
"Nothing—came in, bought a pack of cigarettes, and went out."
"Anybody else seen him?"
"Not so far as we've been able to discover."
"Has he ever registered at any of the hotels here?"