“Baxter, don’t forget Smith left Sir John soon after six. His dead body wasn’t found till next morning. You’ve got to account for the time from six to eight and[80] after midnight. Then Marston has absolutely forgotten. How about you, Moorhouse?” [80] “Oh, I was at the theatre.” “That’s only another partial one, then. Why on earth don’t you people try to find out who did murder the man and not wait till you are in sight of the rope yourselves before you start?” “But what can we do?” “You can offer a reward for one thing. You can engage Dennis Yardley, the detective, for another.” “Tempest, can we make it worth your while for you to take a hand in it?” “No. I’m not keen at playing detective professionally. It’s not my profession. But I don’t mind helping Yardley, as I’ve done in other cases, if that’s what you want.” “Will you take a retainer from us?” “What do you mean?” [81]“In case any of us are accused.” [81] “Oh, certainly. Fix it up with my clerk in the morning. Book it as in re Rellingham. Now, don’t do anything to draw suspicion upon yourselves, but do your utmost to account for how you all spent that particular night. Of course, I may be quite wrong in what I’ve said. I hope I am, but I can’t help seeing the risk.” The four men separated, each going his lonely way home. But justification of all Tempest had said was to follow quickly. Step by step, on the very lines the barrister had indicated, the case was argued the following day in a leader in the same paper that had previously taken up the matter, and the article wound up with a definite demand for the arrest and trial of the three surviving partners in the firm. That a conviction could be obtained was a proposition which few cared to admit; but, on the other hand, the bulk of the public[82] were quite willing to commit themselves to the ready admission that “there might be something in it after all.” And, day by day, as the suspicion grew, the position of the three solicitors became almost unbearable. They felt themselves slowly but only too certainly drifting into the position of social
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