“My say so? What do you mean?�
“Well, sir, the chief thought that perhaps you might know something to lead you to express an opinion one way or the other, and that he would be glad to follow your opinion, no matter what it is.�
“You—you haven’t—told me yet what was found in the room. Was there evidence of a struggle?â€�
“No, sir; nothing at all of that sort. Everything was as orderly as possible, and we could not find that a single thing had been stolen or disturbed. There was only the young lady upon the couch with the little bottle under her right hand on the floor, and she was as peaceful and still as if she was asleep.�
“Was nothing else found there?�
“No, sir; and that is what puzzles the chief. He thinks that if the young lady went there to kill herself, she would have left a letter or something of the sort. But there was nothing of that kind, at all. She was just there; that’s all.�
“But who could have murdered my daughter?� It was almost a cry, and yet Nick Carter could not rid himself of the idea that the emotion of it was not entirely real.
“The chief thinks, sir, that if it was a murder—and he is inclined to think it was—the man did it who went there with her.â€�
Nick could have smiled under less tragic circumstances, so pleased was he by the turn that the talk had taken.
“By the man who went there with her? What——â€� began Lynne.