finger at the
secretary.

"That is all!" Britz dismissed him.

This dramatic interruption of the hearing served to increase the
strained expectancy with which those in the room had followed the
proceedings. A dozen times Manning and Greig had experienced a darting
sense of alarm as Britz's case threatened to collapse. Momentarily they
expected to hear him acknowledge that he had erred in his accusations
and to see him abandon his efforts to fix the crime on Mrs. Collins,
Collins, Ward and Beard.

But with each new setback Britz became all the more determined. And now
he favored Luckstone with an exultant gleam that carried no hope of
compromise.

"You realize the significance of the identification, don't you?" Britz
inquired with exasperating coolness.

"I don't see what it has to do with the murder," Luckstone retorted. "My
clients never saw Mr. Whitmore after they left him at the opera house."

"Then you mean to intimate that if he was shot that night, the shooting
was done by an outsider?"

"That is the only reasonable inference."

"It is a most unreasonable inference," said Britz.

"Why?"

"Because it does not explain why Mr. Whitmore should have tried to give
his death the aspect of suicide. Moreover, had he been shot by an
outsider, the police would have been notified at once. As a final reason
for discarding any theory that he was shot by someone outside of the
four persons whom you represent, I mention the silence which they have
so consistently maintained."

"They have done so by my advice," said the lawyer.

"And do you still advise them to remain silent?"

"I do, except as to proving an alibi."

"You deem that sufficient?"

"I do. It is all that would be required before a jury."

"I suppose that you have effectually silenced the physician who attended
Mr. Whitmore," said Britz, "and I know that the servant in Mr. Beard's
house was permitted to spend the night in question with his parents in
Newark. So there is nothing left but to ask Mr. Beard to tell us who
killed Mr. Whitmore."

CHAPTER XXIII

Thus far Britz, Luckstone and Coroner Hart had occupied the center of
the stage. To them had fallen all the speaking parts. The others had
played silent roles, but now one of them was suddenly called to
participate actively in the drama. He failed to respond.

Beard, far from embracing the opportunity to enlighten the coroner,
clung all the more desperately to silence. And in this att