“Theoretically, yes,” said Smith. “Theoretically we know that someone in this room with us killed Trenholm because he was going to spill. Theoretically we can hammer away at everyone until we get the right man. Actually, we can do nothing of the kind. We can’t hold the Breese family. I’d lose my job. Breese is a pretty important man. We’ll have to let them all go until we get evidence. And the only evidence we have is this revolver. I’ll get our finger-print man to see what he can find.” “I’ll grant you all that,” replied the Russian. “Our problem is not easy. I shall go further. The man who did this murder wouldn’t be fool enough to leave finger-prints. I attach no importance to that. It was a simple matter for him to wipe the revolver clean before he put it back. It takes but an instant to pass a handkerchief over a revolver.” “Then what am I going to do?” demanded Smith. “I’m going to look fine when I make my report. Right under my nose another murder is pulled off! Won’t that look marvellous--for me!” “Well,” said the Russian, pacing up and down, “there are several things we can do. Let me see--I was kneeling here, the operator beside me.” He went about the room indicating the position of each occupant. “Now the bullet entered this man’s heart. It came from this direction. Who was sitting here? Well--we have first, Mr. Breese, his son, and his daughter. Rice was not far away. The Count was in back of them. Any one of them could have killed this man.” “That’s not much help,” said Smith. “The man who did it did considerable moving in the dark. He must have, to have gotten my gun and put it back again.” “But let us forget the physical aspects of the case,” continued the Russian. “Let us inquire further into motive. We know that Trenholm knew who killed Mrs. Breese. Now the question is--how did he know? Apparently he had never met Mrs. Breese. Apparently he had never been to her home. Had he perhaps overheard some vital information while he was on this boat? But his manner was not that. His manner was such that in some way he was vitally implicated in the murder of Mrs. Breese. How, I cannot tell you.” “But that doesn’t get us anywhere,” Smith snorted. “You can stand here and theorize from morning to night. The fact is we’ve got no evidence. The first thing I want to do is to search his effects.” “Very well,” said the Russian. “Begin with his clothes.”