"Well, Aspeland, and what is supposed to have been the motive?"
The officer who was just then deep in conversation with the porter's wife, replied with some irritation:
"The motive, sir? That will be a question to be answered later on. Once we've got hold of the perpetrator the motive will reveal itself fast enough."
Wallion smiled at Aspeland's display of temper. He knew that clever, conscientious official of old and could make a shrewd guess at what had put him out. It would have been an immense gratification to the old veteran to have laid hands on a reckless criminal, but to run down a poor girl who might have been driven to commit the crime, and was now probably hiding like some hunted animal, was not at all to his taste. Wallion cast an interrogative glance at Tom and said:
"Isn't it rather a waste of time to wait here any longer?"
"What do you mean?" said the inspector in a grumbling tone.
"Would it not be more to the point to search for the short, slim individual who climbed on to the roof through that window there?"
Nothing in Wallion's tone gave the slightest indication that he attached any importance to his question, but all eyes turned to him and the official became uncomfortably red.
"Eh! What? Window ... I ... what window?"
"That one over there," said Wallion pointing to the one furthest from the door.