“Yes, murder! You must make proper explanation or go to jail.”
“What do you want me to explain?”
“A label from one of your bottles has been found in a case where life was taken unlawfully. It may be you are innocent of wrong in the affair, but your bleaching devices were used in a plot which has, as I said, resulted in murder.”
“As Heaven hears me, I am not a party to the crime.”
“That remains to be seen. It behooves you to speak the truth to us. About two years ago a man with a long, black beard called at this place and purchased some bottles of a wash to bleach his beard and his hair snow-white.”
“I remember him well.”
The chief of police shot Nick a quick triumphant glance. Madame Reclaire saw it, and properly interpreted the meaning of that look. She bit her lip till it almost bled. The shrewd woman knew in an instant that she had been trapped; that her two visitors had no knowledge of any such visit from a customer such as they had described.
The chief had stated a suspicion as a fact, and she admitted its truth.
“Now, we are getting on,” said the chief. “Who was with him?”
“Nobody.”