"She simply wanted to ask a few more details in regard to the coroner's inquest. She is very much upset over Annette's extraordinary death. It seems that the girl made some statement to her, and Mrs. Winthrop depended on her testimony to prove Lane killed Senator Carew." "What did I tell you?" Brett glanced triumphantly at Douglas. "I'm afraid, though I'm morally certain of Captain Lane's guilt, that we will have some difficulty in establishing the fact." "You will," agreed Colonel Thornton. "So far you have only proved, first, that there was enmity between the two men; second, that Lane had the opportunity; third, that Annette saw him with the letter file, the weapon used to kill Carew, in his hand." "The last has not been sworn to," objected Douglas, "and Annette is dead, so that statement, the most important of all, cannot be accepted as testimony." "Unless some one else saw Lane in the street at the time Annette did," burst in Brett swiftly, resuming his seat. "If they had they would have come forward before this," reasoned Douglas. "I consider it extremely probable that Annette was lying when she said she saw a letter file in Lane's hand. Remember the drenching rain; walking in what proved almost a cloudburst would make most people blind to so small a thing as a letter file carried in a man's closed fist." "What on earth was her object in making such a statement?" asked Colonel Thornton. "That is what we have yet to find out," answered Douglas. "And there's another point, Brett, which you have overlooked." "What's that?" "You recollect that you told me Senator Carew's clothes were absolutely dry when his dead body was found in the carriage. Considering the downpour of rain that night, it seems incredible that he should not have got wet." "I have come to the conclusion that the coachman, Hamilton, lied when he said he had not stopped at the house for Senator Carew on Monday night," replied Brett. "Having lied in the beginning, he is now afraid to admit the truth for fear that he may be convicted of killing the Senator." "That sounds plausible," acknowledged Colonel Thornton. "I don't believe it." Douglas shook his head obstinately. "It has been proved already that the Senator did not spend Monday evening at home. I tell you the key to this mystery is how Senator Carew got into that carriage on such a stormy night without getting his clothes wet. When you have solved that problem you will know who committed the murder." Thornton was about to reply when the hall door was thrown open, and Eleanor, her lovely eyes opened to their widest, exclaimed: "Uncle Dana, the Secretary of State wishes to see you!" "God bless me!" Colonel Thornton sprang out of his chair as the distinguished statesman followed Eleanor into the room.