“Have you had any strangers staying with you in the interval between Chapman’s going away and the discovery of the remains?” “Yes. There was a Mr. Doler; he had two cabin trunks and a uniform case which went to the luggage-room. And then there was a lady, Mrs. Murchison. She had a lot of stuff in there: a small, flat trunk, a hat-box, and a big dress-basket--one of these great basket pantechnicons that ladies take about with them. And there was another gentleman--I forget his name, but you will see it in the visitors’ book--he had a couple of largish portmanteaux in there. Perhaps you would like to see the book?” “I should,” said Thorndyke; and when the book was produced and the names of the guests pointed out, he copied the entries into his note-book, adding the particulars of their luggage. “And now, sir,” said Miller, “I suppose you won’t be happy until you’ve seen the room itself?” “Your insight is really remarkable, superintendent,” my colleague replied. “Yes, I should like to see the room.” There was little enough to see, however, when we arrived there. The key was in the door, and the latter was not only unlocked but stood ajar; and when we pushed it open and entered we saw a small room, empty save for a collection of portmanteaux, trunks, and Gladstone bags. The only noteworthy fact was that it was at the end of a corridor, covered with linoleum, so that anyone inside would have a few seconds’ notice of another person’s approach. But evidently that would have been of little use in the alleged circumstances. For the hypothetical criminal must have emptied Chapman’s box of the jewellery before he could put the incriminating objects into it; so that, apart from the latter, the arrival of an inopportune visitor would have found him apparently in the act of committing a robbery. The suggestion was obviously absurd. “By the way,” said Thorndyke, as we descended the stairs, “where is the central character of this drama--Chapman? He is not here, I suppose?” “Yes, he is,” replied Miller. “He is committed for trial, but we are keeping him here until we know where the inquest is to be held. You would probably like to have a few words with him? Well, I’ll take you along to the police station and tell them who you are, and then perhaps you would like to come back here and have some lunch or dinner before you return to town.”