Martin was shaken but by no means overwhelmed.
‘Oh, well,’ he said airily, ‘all that point is a bit immaterial, don’t you think? After all, it’s the main motive and opportunity and questions that are important. Anyone might have snatched the dagger from you. It is one of those damn fool gallant gestures that old Chris Kennedy might have perpetrated. It might have been anyone playing in the game. However, in the main, I think we’ve spotted our man. Don’t you, Abbershaw?’
‘I hope so.’
The fervency of the little doctor’s reply surprised them.
Martin was gratified.
‘I know I’m right,’ he said. ‘Now all we’ve got to do is to prove it.’
Abbershaw agreed.
‘That’s so,’ he said. ‘But I don’t think that will be so easy, Martin. You see, we’ve got to find the chap first, and without police aid that’s going to be a well-nigh impossible job. We can’t bring the Yard into it until we’ve got past theories.’
‘No, of course not,’ said Martin. ‘But I say,’ he added, as a new thought occurred to him, ‘there is one thing, though. Whitby was the cove who had the wind-up, wasn’t he? No one else turned a hair, and if there was a guilty conscience amongst the gang, surely it was his?’
This suggestion impressed his listeners more than any of his other arguments. Abbershaw looked up excitedly.