"I do not know. He was a wild sort of a chap and left home before his mother's death. I know that he was a source of great annoyance to Playfair, who spent many thousands of dollars in paying Arthur's gambling debts." "Did Playfair ever mention his stepson's name?" "It never passed his lips. For twelve years--ever since the young man left home--he was as dead to his stepfather." "What is the fellow's full name?" "Arthur Mannion; and if he is alive he should be about thirty years of age." As Nick had no more questions to ask, Jackson Feversham went on: "Playfair was always considered an easy mark for both the society and the professional beggar. He had a soft heart and could rarely resist an appeal for money, no matter whether it came from a charity committee from his own walk in life or from the dirtiest, most whisky-sodden hobo that ever perambulated the streets. Therefore, my opinion is that some crime-hardened grafter accosted him just as the boat was about to leave. The fellow, of course, must have been well dressed, of fair intelligence, and prepossessing appearance, who, after handing out the opening chapter of hard luck and woe, proposed the appointment by the river shore for the conclusion of the tale. Murder must have been intended in the first place, and murder was done." "Have any of the residents of the locality been interviewed?" "I believe so." "And no one was seen about the shore that night?" "No. Even Playfair, as I have said, was not seen after he left the wharf." "This shows that the people thereabouts were not out of doors that night. But, perhaps, the ground was not thoroughly gone over. Chick, suppose you go down there at once and interview everybody--white, black, child, and adult." "All right, Nick," and Chick was off. "And now," said Nick, "for the beginning of the work. I shall require a list of the property stolen from the body. Have the officers been furnished with this?" "Yes." "Then my first visit must be to headquarters. While I am away, Patsy, you will mingle with the people and pick up crumbs, if there are any." The secret service men, as well as the local police, of the capital had taken hold of the case, and from the superintendent Nick obtained a list of the valuables stolen, as far as the same could be ascertained. He was also put into possession of an item which imbued with new and strange interest the remarks made by Chick at the opening of this chapter. "About a hundred yards from the spot where the body was found," said the superintendent, "a crumpled one-hundred-dollar bank-note was picked up. It may have been the property of the dead man, or it may have belonged to the murderer, who dropped it while replenishing his pocketbook after the robbery."