“Nachbar wasn’t the one to slip-up over a detail like that. It had been sent from Roberts’s home district in a faked name—couldn’t be connected with Nachbar or the hotel where he was staying for his shoot. Still, it was a link. And on top of that it was found the gun that killed Roberts—wasn’t his.”
“What!” cried Clement in a startled tone.
“No, it wasn’t his. It looked like his. It was just the sort of Winchester magazine rifle he used, but the dealer found the number and proved it wasn’t his. Some one must have swopped guns with him—while he was out, apparently, alone. And the gun he got in exchange for his own was a gun meant to burst and kill, an’ did burst an’ kill.”
“Devilish!” cried Clement. “And his own gun—was that traced?”
“Did you think it would be? No, it wasn’t. It was proved that Neuburg had also left his hotel carrying a Winchester magazine—easy to effect a change, you see, an’ when he came back with the same sort of gun on his shoulder nobody had reason to suspect it was Roberts’s gun—then. Moreover, when Neuburg’s rooms were searched, it was found that he had kindly left an identical Winchester rifle behind—an’ it wasn’t Roberts’s.”
“An alibi. He could swear that this gun was the gun he used on that murderous weekend.—Has the burst gun been traced?”
“No. But, of course, it is only a detail. It is obvious that Neuburg or Nachbar did that murder, though full facts have to be proved.”
For a moment they sat silent, and Clement, anyhow, was appreciating the full meaning of this revelation. Roberts’s murder, Heloise Reys’ case—how they ran parallel. Roberts was a victim because of his wealth—Heloise Reys was possessed of a million pounds. Nachbar kept in the background as far as Roberts was concerned. He was an advising friend; Neuburg played the same rôle to Heloise Reys. Roberts had been lured into the wilds; Heloise Reys was, even now, being lured into the wilds. Roberts was killed by a secret, brilliant “accident;” Heloise Reys ... Clement shivered. He stared at Gatineau.
“I told you,” said the little detective, “because I think it best to know exactly the ways and methods of this brute.”
“I understand,” said Clement. “And then there is the brighter side, too. It is certain that Neuburg is Nachbar. He’ll be arrested. When?”