to the
opera that night. Miss Burden will bear us out in that. During the first
act Mr. Beard joined the party and toward the end of the performance,
Mr. Whitmore arrived.

"On leaving the opera house, Mr. Whitmore separated from the others.
Collins, Mrs. Collins, Ward and Miss Burden returned to Delmore Park in
the Collins machine. Beard accompanied them and spent the night with Mr.
Ward. Mr. Whitmore slept in Mr. Beard's home that night. Now what
becomes of your theory that Mr. Whitmore was shot by one of my clients?
Miss Burden was with them before, during, and after the performance."

Here was another alibi, more potent than the others. For it was evident
that if Whitmore was shot after the performance at the opera house, none
of the four suspects could be adjudged guilty of the crime. And it was
unlikely that Luckstone would have revealed as much as he did unless he
were absolutely sure of his ground. Miss Burden and the chauffeur were
witnesses whose testimony it would be impossible to shake.

To the coroner it looked as if all four of those before him had absolved
themselves from participation in the crime. In fact it would require
only the formal testimony of the witnesses named by Luckstone to insure
their acquittal.

"You say that Mr. Whitmore returned from a business trip?" asked Britz.

"Yes," answered Luckstone.

"That is untrue." The detective's jaw snapped viciously.

"What do you mean?" An angry flush suffused the lawyer's cheeks.

"I know precisely where Mr. Whitmore spent his time."

As if to avoid further controversy, Britz nodded to Greig and the latter
left the room. He returned after a moment accompanied by a man who, for
some reason, was trying desperately to hide behind the detective's broad
back. Evidently he had no relish for the role which he was to play in
this tense drama.

"Travis, step forward!" commanded Britz.

The newcomer stepped into the center of the room, a timorous, shrinking
figure, pale and haggard. At sight of him Luckstone gave a half-startled
gasp. A violent tremor traveled down Beard's frame. The agitation of the
lawyer and the secretary extended in milder form to the others in the
room.

"Travis, look around this room and see if you can identify the man that
hired you to impersonate Herbert Whitmore!" said Britz.

Travis's gaze wandered from face to face, finally fixing itself on
Beard's drawn features.

"That is the man!" he said, pointing a trembling fore