Brent and I sat aghast!
“I think,” Brent said, soberly, “that Tom has given us conclusive evidence as to Roland McClintick being alive. That is up until a few nights ago, if we don’t find the hermit.”
“You think then, the hermit and Roland McClintick are one person?” I queried.
“Of course,” Brent said. “The scar proves it in every instance.”
“Still, lots of people have scars on their feet though,” Tom said.
“I suppose they have,” Brent agreed. “But what we want to find out is why Mr. McClintick identified the body that was taken from the lake as his son, when he knew his son to be in Montreal. Someone else was killed in his place and we want to find out why?”
“Could it have been Northrop?” Tom asked wonderingly. “Or Weston?”
“I don’t know,” Brent answered. “But I do know or rather hope, when we hear from Coover’s Falls that it will be something interesting and worth hearing.”
“Then the murdered and the murderer lies between Northrop and Weston?”
“I’m sure of it,” said Brent, “from what Tom has told us of that ’phone conversation. It was deliberate murder and whoever killed that unknown person out on the lake also murdered the elder McClintick. Both murders were committed for some cause, certainly.”