“Of course; I would have been taking a chance. But, then, what else had I been doing during the entire night.”
“Well, that’s true. But what do you suppose a little lingering on the scene would have brought you?”
“It might have confirmed a suspicion that I’ve had ever since. And that is, that Anna and Forrester met with the surprise of their lives when the office lights were turned on and they saw the safe broken open.”
“But, great Cæsar! Ken; how could that be. The girl, according to your own reasoning, saw you crack the safe.”
“Don’t go too fast, old chap; I didn’t say so. I didn’t mention any names; for I’m not altogether sure that it was Anna who was in the office with me. The girl who snatched the packet wore a heavy cloak and a hood; Anna was in white when I saw her a moment later as she stood beside Forrester in the lower hall.”
“But she might have thrown the cloak off.”
“Then it would have been upon the stairs, and I would have seen it. She had not time to dispose of it in any other way, even had there been a reason for it. From the time that the light was switched off in the office, until it was turned on in the hall below, was only a moment.”
“But you heard the footsteps on the stairs—and there was only one girl below.”
“There was only one girl below, yes. And I heard the footsteps on the stairs. But there was also a pair of stairs leading to the floor above. The girl who snatched the packet may have gone up; I’m not sure.”
Webster stared for a moment.