“Looks like it, doesn’t it? Here’s your concierge swearing you were in the old man’s room at the time the murder was committed. You say that you were elsewhere, but you cannot produce your witnesses. You name two people who have left the country, gone goodness knows where. Doesn’t it strike you that if they should not come back to testify for you, you will be in a devilish awkward box?”
“Look here, Krantz, you know I didn’t do it.”
“Of course, I know it,” said Krantz smilingly.
“And you know who did do it.”
The face of Krantz grew very grave. “Hum! I’m not so sure of that.”
“But what was the motive?”
“Robbery, of course. Didn’t they tell you that the safe was opened, all the papers taken? He had better luck than I, whoever he was.”
“And the system?”
“Stolen. That’s unfortunate. I wish I knew who he was.”
“Whoever has it can’t use it,” said Hugh. “It’s in cypher, and there’s only one man who can decipher it.”