"
Into the face of Inspector Bray there came at that moment a look
that has puzzling me ever since--a look that has recurred to my
mind again and again,--in the stress and storm of this eventful
day. It was only too evident that this confession came to him as
a shock. I presume so easy a victory seemed hollow to him; he was
wishing the boy had put up a fight. Policemen are probably like
that.
"My boy," he said, "I am sorry for you. My course is clear. If
you will go with one of my men--"
It was at this point that the door of the inspector's room opened
and Colonel Hughes, cool and smiling, walked in. Bray chuckled at
sight of the military man.
"Ah, colonel," he cried, "you make a good entrance! This morning,
when I discovered that I had the honor of having you associated
with me in the search for the captain's murderer, you were foolish
enough to make a little wager--"
"I remember," Hughes answered. "A scarab pin against--a Homburg
hat."
"Precisely," said Bray. "You wagered that you, and not I, would
discover the guilty man. Well, Colonel, you owe me a scarab.
Lieutenant Norman Fraser-Freer has just told me that he killed his
brother, and I was on the point of taking down his full confession."
"Indeed!" replied Hughes calmly. "Interesting--most interesting!
But before we consider the wager lost--before you force the
lieutenant to confess in full--I should like the floor.
Pages:
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83