"I don't suspect a soul, Sir James," Hewitt answered, beaming genially, "not a soul. You see, I _can't_ suspect people till I know something about where they were. It's quite possible there will be independent evidence enough as it is, but you must help me if you can. The visitors, now. Was there any visitor here each time--or even on the first and last occasions only?" "No--not one. And my own sister, perhaps you will be pleased to know, was only there at the time of the first robbery." "Just so. And your daughter, as I have gathered, was clearly absent from the spot each time--indeed, was in company with the party robbed. Your niece, now?" "Why, hang it all, Mr. Hewitt, I can't talk of my niece as a suspected criminal. The poor girl's under my protection, and I really can't allow--" Hewitt raised his hand and shook his head deprecatingly. "My dear sir, haven't I said that I don't suspect a soul? _Do_ let me know how the people were distributed, as nearly as possible. Let me see. It was your niece, I think, who found that Mrs. Armitage's door was locked--this door in fact--on the day she lost her brooch?" "Yes, it was." "Just so--at the time when Mrs. Armitage, herself, had forgotten whether she locked it or not. And yesterday--was she out then?" "No, I think not. Indeed, she goes out very little--her health is usually bad. She was indoors, too, at the time of the Heath robbery, since you ask. But come, now, I don't like this. It's ridiculous to suppose that _she_ knows anything of it." "I don't suppose it, as I have said. I am only asking for information. That is all your resident family, I take it, and you know nothing of anybody else's movements--except, perhaps, Mr. Lloyd's?" "Lloyd? Well, you know yourself that he was out with the ladies when the first robbery took place. As to the others, I don't remember. Yesterday he was probably in his room, writing. I think that acquits _him_, eh?" Sir James looked quizzically into the broad face of the affable detective, who smiled and replied:-- "Oh, of course, nobody can be in two places at once, else what would become of the _alibi_ as an institution? But as I have said, I am only setting my facts in order. Now, you see, we get down to the servants--unless some stranger is the party wanted. Shall we go outside now?" Lenton Croft was a large, desultory sort of house, nowhere more than three floors high, and mostly only two. It had been added to bit by bit till it zig-zagged about its site, as Sir James Norris expressed it, "like a game of dominoes." Hewitt scrutinized its external features carefully as they strolled round, and stopped some little while before the windows of the two bedrooms he had just seen from the inside. Presently they approached the stables and coach-house, where a groom was washing the wheels of the dog-cart. "Do you mind my smoking?" Hewitt asked Sir James. "Perhaps you will take a cigar yourself--they are not so bad, I think. I will ask your man for a light."