"At present I am not at liberty to say—except that the person who committed the deed was no ordinary criminal."
"Then he was murdered, and the motive was robbery?"
"That was the police theory, but I can at once assure you that they were entirely mistaken. Theft was not the motive."
"But the money was stolen from his pockets!" I said.
"How do you prove that? He might have secreted it somewhere before the attack was made upon him."
"I feel certain that the money was stolen," I answered.
"Well, you are, of course, welcome to your own opinion," he answered carelessly. "I can only assure you that, even though the money was not found upon him, robbery was not the motive of the crime."
"And you have come to me in order to tell me that?" I said. "Perhaps you will explain further."
"I come to you, Miss Rosselli, because a serious responsibility rests upon yourself."
"In what manner?"