"
He came over and faced Bray. I thought there was a distinct note
of hostility in his voice.
"Checkmate, Inspector!" he said. Bray made no reply. He sat there
staring up at the colonel, his face turned to stone.
"The scarab pin," went on Hughes, "is not yet forthcoming. We are
tied for honors, my friend. You have your confession, but I have
one to match it."
"All this is beyond me," snapped Bray.
"A bit beyond me, too," the colonel answered. "Here are two people
who wish us to believe that on the evening of Thursday last, at half
after six of the clock, each sought out Captain Fraser-Freer in his
rooms and murdered him."
He walked to the window and then wheeled dramatically.
"The strangest part of it all is," he added, "that at six-thirty
o'clock last Thursday evening, at an obscure restaurant in Soho
--Frigacci's--these two people were having tea together!"
I must admit that, as the colonel calmly offered this information,
I suddenly went limp all over at a realization of the endless maze
of mystery in which we were involved. The woman gave a little cry
and Lieutenant Fraser-Freer leaped to his feet.
"How the devil do you know that?" he cried.
"I know it," said Colonel Hughes, "because one of my men happened
to be having tea at a table near by.
Pages:
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87