“And the record, yes. I came first by myself, and when hiding in the house came across some old costumes, and wigs, and being as you know, an actor, I had no difficulty in disguising myself as old Reckavile. As you all saw the family likeness was striking, and I thought that if anyone saw me they would take me for a ghost.”
“So that was it?” said Fletcher.
“It was not hard to guess,” said Sinclair with a twinkle in his eye.
“Then my good friend Southgate came with me, and we were nearly caught by Brown,” and Halley laughed.
“You caught me properly, sir,” said the rueful constable.
“You see, I was afraid that Reckavile had destroyed the document, but as he had kept it all those years for some queer superstition, and as I had seen him put it into the desk, I thought it was worth while trying to find it. It was my only chance, Southgate most loyally helped me. Is there any more to explain?”
Fletcher moved restlessly. “All this is most interesting, but I don’t see that we are any nearer to a solution. In fact you seem to have incriminated yourself. After all, we cannot get over the fact that the dead man was found with a knife in his back, and the windows fast shut instead of wide open as they should have been from your account.”
Sinclair fixed his gaze on Fletcher. “I think you had better wait,” he said “we have not done yet.”
Chapter XII.
The Secret Out
“I don’t see that we are any further towards the solution of the murder,” said Fletcher. “All that we have heard sheds no light on the actual crime at all.”