“I don’t care whether it’s wise or not. You make me disgusted with detective work! Why do you go around sneaking up on any woman you can hear of? Why don’t you go about it from the other side? Find a motive for the murder and then find the criminal who had the motive! Don’t suspect this one because she studied nursing and that one because the old gentleman kissed her! It isn’t a unique case, my uncle’s fancy for chorus girls,—but it by no means indicates the result of murder! Get the weapon, then find its owner. Get a clue,—a real, material clue, and then trace the criminal. Get some evidence,—actual, spoken or circumstantial,—and deduce your facts from it. For heaven’s sake, do some real detective work, and not just dance around questioning any kiddy-girl you happen to see!” “Your words are not without reason,” and Corson gave Bates a peculiar smile. “Indeed, I had some idea of doing just what you suggest. But one of the first things to do in the hunt for evidence is to find out where your uncle was last night between twelve and two. You see, the people at the Magnifique say he sent the girls home by themselves and then soon after went off himself in the neighborhood of midnight. Next he’s heard of at two A. M. dying on the floor of the onyx lobby! Where was he in the meantime?” “That’s truly a most important question to be answered,” said Richard, very seriously. “On that depends far more than on the frightened admissions or denials of a lot of excited young women.” “I quite agree with you,” said the detective. CHAPTER IX The Library Set But it proved no easy matter to trace the whereabouts of Sir Herbert Binney between the hours of twelve and two on the night he met his tragic death. The detectives were aware that he said a pleasant good-night to the chorus girls he had entertained at supper, and had left the Magnifique, alone, about midnight, but then all trace was lost. Naturally enough, for peaceable citizens are not noticed if they follow a beaten or usual path. Nor could it be discovered whether he came into the onyx lobby alone, or accompanied by the person or persons responsible for his death. The absence of the weapon precluded all thought of suicide, therefore, he had been murdered and the murderer was still at large. There was no witness to his dying moments but the night porter, Bob Moore. His testimony was not doubted, for, so far, no reason was apparent for his having any ill will toward the victim of the tragedy. The two police detectives on the case worked well together. Corson was the more clever minded of the two, and Bates more energetic and active. But they felt decidedly baffled at the stone wall they found themselves up against. Sir Herbert had left the Hotel Magnifique, walking. Where had he gone or whom had he met? A highwayman or thug was improbable, for such a person would not follow a victim into his own home before attacking him. This added plausibility to the written statement incriminating women.