“He did not,” said Bernice. “I was not the fool to tell him.”
“You may have made a mistake in not doing so,” said Nick, “for he might have left the package about in a careless manner. You have done several injudicious things in connection with this affair,” added Nick. “When you watched us from the hall on the morning following the murder you attracted attention to yourself. When you came up and destroyed the footprints in the hall leading to the servants’ rooms, you made yourself an object of suspicion. When you shot at us from the thicket in the orchard, you admitted, as plainly as words could have done, that you were deeply implicated in the robbery or the murder, or both. Under these circumstances it was natural that you should be followed to the station and your movements there noted. I saw the baggageman give you the key to the deposit box, and heard what you said to him. Your interview with him the night before was witnessed by the lunchman, although he could not hear what was said at that time. It was enough for me that you were there with him. So you see you, yourself, supplied the clues which led to the location of the gems.”
“What are you going to do with me now?” demanded the girl.
“I have done my work in the case,” replied the detective. “I have located the diamonds, and I have discovered how Alvin Maynard came to his death. The case is now in the hands of the sheriff and the State’s attorney.”
“Remember your promise to me,” interrupted Mrs. Maynard. “You promised not to be too hard on my son and Bernice if I told you what I knew of the affair.”
“I shall recommend leniency,” replied Nick, “but I knew all the facts before you told me your story. The geologist’s hammer with which the blow was struck was found in Anton’s closet yesterday morning, but I did not remove it. I was not certain at that time that it was the instrument of death. During my absence in New York the young man removed it, thus showing that he had an interest in concealing clues pointing to the murderer. Again, I learned on my first inspection of the closet that the stolen diamonds had for a time been secreted in a box in the closet. One of the gems had broken away from its fastening and was found in the box. The box and the diamond were also removed during my absence. Instead of covering up his tracks, the young man was only supplying more proof against himself. I think the burglars must have seen Anton carry the diamonds to the closet on his return from the front of the house, for they appeared to have found them with little trouble.”
“Are you going to turn me over to the sheriff?” asked Anton, his face deadly pale, his lips quivering, his brain whirling at the contemplation of the case against him.
“I shall be obliged to do that,” said Nick, “but I don’t see how you can be convicted of murder, for you certainly had a right to strike when you believed your mother to be in peril. Bernice will be held as accessory after the fact only, for I shall not press the charge of attempted murder, though she might have killed Chick or myself. I shall be lenient for the sake of this poor old lady.”
At this moment a knocking was heard at the door, and Charley admitted the sheriff.
“I followed a false clue,” he said to Nick. “What luck here?”