"A man calling himself Edward Rodgers." Mitchell sat back and regarded her in unconcealed surprise. "Edward Rodgers," he echoed. "You surely do not mean Edward Rodgers, the handwriting expert?" "I do." His profound astonishment was a sap to her vanity, and she could not restrain a smile. It vanished suddenly as a thought recurred to her. "You have promised, Inspector, not to repeat what I tell you. I depend upon you to keep your word." "Of course." Mitchell reddened. "I don't break confidences, Madam. But you have said too much not to say more. What are your reasons for claiming that Edward Rodgers is an adventurer?" Mrs. Parsons did not reply at once and Mitchell studied her with covert interest. She was dressed in exquisite taste and the delicate rose-tint of her complexion had been applied with such consummate skill that even the uncompromising glare of a March morning betrayed no signs of make-up to the sharp eyes of her visitor. Mitchell had always been more or less susceptible to women's wiles, and his stiff official manner had thawed perceptibly when she had welcomed him with a cordiality very gratifying to his _amour propre_. "Some years ago," Mrs. Parsons spoke in so low a tone that Mitchell was obliged to lean forward to catch what she said. "My husband, then a practicing attorney in San Francisco, had a client, Jacob Brown, a man of supposed wealth and standing in the community. Gradually, I do not know why, certain business transactions in which Brown was involved became questionable, but it was not until the Holt will case--" "The Holt will case!" Inspector Mitchell drew back sharply. "Hah! Jake Brown--'Gentleman Jake?'" "Yes, just so." She looked at him admiringly. "You have an excellent memory, Inspector." "Where crime is concerned," he admitted, with a touch of pride. "Let me see, Gentleman Jake was one of the beneficiaries in Colonel Holt's will at a time when his financial affairs were in bad shape--" "In fact, Gentleman Jake was a ruined man--" she supplemented softly. "Exactly." Mitchell warmed to his subject. "And according to the will, Colonel Holt left him a hundred thousand dollars. Then along came a nephew who dug up another will and claimed that the one leaving the legacy to Gentleman Jake was a clever forgery." "And the nephew won his case through the expert testimony of Edward Rodgers, handwriting expert," added Mrs. Parsons. "Gentleman Jake was sent to the penitentiary and--" "Died before his term was up," Mitchell completed the sentence for her. "But before he died he sent for my husband," Mrs. Parsons paused, then spoke more rapidly. "Jake Brown trusted my husband: he had stood by him and aided in his defense. On his death-bed Jake confessed--" "That _his_ Holt will was a forgery," interrupted Mitchell, pleased that he could again piece out her story and thereby prove his recollection of the case.