«He might. In that case he should be easy to discover, since he obviously lives in close proximity to Crimplesham and his glasses, and Crimplesham in fear of his life will then be a valuable ally for the prosecution.»
«How about the first possibility of all, misunderstanding or accident?»
«Well! Well, for purposes of discussion, nothing, because it really doesn't afford any data for discussion.»
«In any case,» said Parker, «the obvious course appears to be to go to Salisbury.»
«That seems indicated,» said Lord Peter.
«Very well,» said the detective, «is it to be you or me or both of us?»
«It is to be me,» said Lord Peter, «and that for two reasons. First, because, if (by Possibility No. 2, Hypothesis 1, Alternative A) Crimplesham is an innocent catspaw, the person who put in the advertisement is the proper person to hand over the property. Secondly, because, if we are to adopt Hypothesis 2, we must not overlook the sinister possibility that Crimplesham-X is laying a careful trap to rid himself of the person who so unwarily advertised in the daily press his interest in the solution of the Battersea Park mystery.»
«That appears to me to be an argument for our both going,» objected the detective.
«Far from it,» said Lord Peter. «Why play into the hands of Crimplesham-X by delivering over to him the only two men in London with the evidence, such as it is, and shall I say the wits, to connect him with the Battersea body?»
«But if we told the Yard where we were going, and we both got nobbled,» said Mr. Parker, «it would afford strong presumptive evidence of Crimplesham's guilt, and anyhow, if he didn't get hanged for murdering the man in the bath he'd at least get hanged for murdering us.»