“Oh, no, not exactly,” Nick replied, “but I thought it would be just as well to make it impossible to suspect him. That was all.”
This remark did not convince either of the men.
“You wouldn’t have gone to this trouble,” said Folsom, “if you hadn’t believed that he had a motive for the crime.”
“As to motive,” replied Nick, “I can only guess, but if Claymore is crooked and Judson was straight, isn’t it possible that Judson threatened an exposure, and that Claymore would try to prevent it?”
Kerr nodded.
“That’s all right,” he said, “but in the face of this evidence,” and he tapped the messenger’s book.
“It looks very bad for Hank Low,” admitted Nick.
“You think that Claymore set Low up to it?” remarked Folsom.
“Do I?” inquired Nick, mildly.