"The same brand of cigarettes?" he asked.
"No, but all cheap American ones."
"One man trying to give the impression that he is several. You still think that? Nothing has happened to make you change that opinion?"
"No, I hold to the one man theory."
"And you are right," he snapped. "I admit I might not have got upon the right track had you not made that discovery. It was clever, Wigan."
"It did not seem to help you to a theory," I answered.
"True. But it made me ask myself a question. Had the thief found what he was looking for? Much depended upon the answer. If he had, I saw small chance of elucidating the mystery. I might have propounded a theory, but I should have had no facts to support it.
"Indeed, had I theorized, then my theory would have been wrong. If the thief had not found what he wanted, he would continue his search, I argued. For some reason he connected Sir Joseph Maynard with the object of his search, and, when he tried again, we stood a chance of finding the link in the chain we wanted. It might implicate Sir Joseph, it might not. That is why I said we must wait. The thief has tried again—twice. Now, what is he looking for?"
"Presumably something a doctor is likely to have," I said.
"And not silver, nor money, nor papers, nor——"