Markham gave Vance one of his annoyed, calculating stares.
“You’ve got some theory,” he asserted, in an accusing tone.
“Nothing more than I’ve already told you. The finding of the galoshes was wholly incidental. I’m interested in other things—just what, I don’t know.”
He stood near the centre-table and let his eyes roam over the objects of the room. Presently his gaze came to rest on a low wicker reading-chair the right arm of which was shaped into a book-rest. It stood within a few feet of the wall opposite to the fireplace, facing a narrow section of book-shelves that was surmounted by a replica of the Capitoline Museum bust of Vespasian.
“Most untidy,” he murmured. “I’m sure that chair wasn’t left in that position twelve years ago.”
He moved forward, and stood looking down at it musingly. Instinctively Markham and Heath followed him; and then they saw the thing that he had been contemplating. On the table-arm of the chair was a deep saucer in which stood the thick stub of a candle. The saucer was almost filled with smoky wax drippings.
“It took many candles to fill that dish,” commented Vance; “and I doubt if the departed Tobias did his reading by candle-light.” He touched the seat and the back of the chair, and then examined his hand. “There’s dust, but nowhere near a decade’s accumulation. Some one has been browsing in this library rather recently; and he was dashed secretive about it. He didn’t dare draw the shades or turn on the lights. He sat here with a single candle, sampling Tobias’s brand of literature. And it apparently appealed to him, for this one saucer contains evidence of many bookish nights. How many other saucers of paraffin there were we don’t know.”
“The old lady could tell us who had a chance to put the key back this morning after hiding the galoshes,” offered Heath.
“No one put the key back this morning, Sergeant. The person who was in the habit of visiting here wouldn’t have stolen it and returned it on each occasion when he could have had a duplicate made in fifteen minutes.”
“I guess you’re right.” The Sergeant was sorely perplexed. “But as long as we don’t know who’s got the key, we’re no better off than we were.”