nd and he
left them! And would such a person actually go out of his way to put the
body where it must be discovered at once, instead of concealing it till
he could himself get away with the diamonds? Of course not. But there
was no accomplice, and it's useless to labour that farther. All these
arguments apply equally against the theory that it was the work of some
criminal gang. They would have taken all they could get, notes, keys,
diamonds and all, and they wouldn't have been so foolish as to exhibit
the body with that extraordinary mark; criminal gangs are not such fools
as to take unnecessary chances and gratuitously leave tracks behind
them, as you know well enough. Well then, there we stand. So far, do you
see any more in it than I do?"

Hewitt shook his head. "No," he said, "I can't say I do. All the
considerations you have mentioned have already occurred to me. I talked
them over, in fact, with my friend Brett. My connection with the case
ceased, of course, with the discovery of the jewels, and about the
murder I know no more than has been told me. I never saw the body, and
so had no opportunity of picking up any overlooked clue; though
doubtless you have seen to that. I know not a tittle more than you have
just summarised, and on that alone the thing seems mystery pure and
unadulterated."

"All there is beyond that was ascertained by the divisional surgeon on
examination of the body. The man died from strangulation, as you know,
and the natural presumption from that was that the murderer must have
been a powerful man. But the surgeon is of the positive opinion--he is
certain, in fact--that Denson was strangled with an instrument--a
tourniquet."

"A tourniquet?"

"Yes, a surgeon's tourniquet, such as is used to compress a leg or arm
and so stop a flow of blood. He considers the marks unmistakable. Now
that might point to the murderer being a medical man."

"Conjecturally, yes; though, of course, it justifies nothing more than
conjecture."

"Precisely. Well, that was something, but precious little. A tourniquet
is a common thing enough--no more than a band with screw fittings, and
there was nothing to show that the tourniquet used was any different
from a thousand others; and I can see no particular reason why a doctor
should commit a murder like this any more than any other man; in which
the divisional surgeon agreed with me. And doctor or none, that Red
Triangle was altogether unaccounted for. About tha