"Yes, as soon as his crime was committed. Good. . . . Good. . . . It all fits in. . . . And, after that?"
"After that, we heard nothing more. . . . The night passed. . . . I fell asleep from exhaustion. . . . So did Edwards. . . . And it was not until this morning . . ."
"Yes, I know. . . . There, it's not going badly . . . it all fits in. . . ."
And, marking off the stages of his investigation, in a tone as though he were enumerating so many victories over the stranger, he muttered thoughtfully:
"The accomplice . . . the telephone . . . the time of the murder . . . the sounds that were heard. . . . Good. . . . Very good. . . . We have still to establish the motive of the crime. . . . In this case, as we have Lupin to deal with, the motive is obvious. M. Lenormand, have you noticed the least sign of anything being broken open?"
"No."
"Then the robbery must have been effected upon the person of the victim himself. Has his pocket-book been found?"
"I left it in the pocket of his jacket," said Gourel.
They all went into the sitting-room, where M. Formerie discovered that the pocket-book contained nothing but visiting-cards and papers establishing the murdered man's identity.
"That's odd. Mr. Chapman, can you tell us if Mr. Kesselbach had any money on him?"