"That confirms Mr. Benbow's statement that he came home for his revolver," I said to Ellison, who, I was sure, had listened carefully, though he had made a show of indifference and inattention. "I thought possibly someone might have seen him and talked with him who could throw some light on the matter, but it seems not. How is Miss Benbow?"
"Jean? Oh, she's all right. No business to be here, mixing up in things that concern men, but what can you expect nowadays? Of course she had to come interfering."
"If you think she would care to see me,--"
He shook his head impatiently. "Miss Thurston is with her. They are talking things over for all they are worth."
I rose to depart. Then the thought which had been in the background of my mind all along came forward. After all, I might as well be the one to tell him.
"Mr. Ellison, they found a check signed by you in Barker's pocket. You will probably hear of it, if you didn't already know."
He puckered his eyelids and looked at me narrowly.
"Where did you get that bit of information?"
"I saw the check."
"A check payable to Barker?"