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I thought Nepcote would prefer to perish as the victim of circumstances rather than incur public opprobrium by a defence which he knew would never be believed. The actual facts against him were too strong. He could neither extenuate nor deny them.
As they approached it Colwyn, with a slight movement of his head, drew his companion's attention to the upper windows which belonged to Nepcote's flat. The blinds were down. "It looks as if Nepcote left last night," he said.
Merrington even inserted an advertisement in the "Personal" column of the Times, setting forth a touching female appeal to Nepcote for a meeting in a sequestered spot.
"They were firing from behind the bagatelle board at a target fixed over there," said Phil, pointing to the far wall. "Who proposed the game?" "Nepcote. It was a very wet afternoon, and everybody had to stay indoors. He suggested after tea that it would be a good way of killing the time before dinner.
Nepcote dropped wearily into a chair, and for the first time Colwyn was able to see his face clearly. He looked very ill: there could be no doubt of that. His face was haggard and unshaven, his clothing was soiled, his attitude one of utter dejection. He crouched in the chair breathing hurriedly, with one hand pressed to his right side, as though in pain.
Then he said: "What makes you feel so sure that Nepcote did not leave his revolver in this room after the shooting?" "He could only have left it on the bagatelle board or one of the chairs," replied Phil earnestly. "If he had done so it would have been seen by somebody." "Provided anybody entered the gun-room," put in Musard.
"Nepcote returned to France before the murder was committed." "He did not. He stayed in London that night, and did not return to France until the following day. He explained that yesterday by stating that when he reached London after leaving the moat-house he found another telegram from the War Office extending his leave for twenty-four hours." "Merrington said nothing of this to me.
Nepcote was not there because he had returned to London during the afternoon. Nevertheless, it was with his revolver that your wife was shot." "That is correct," said Phil. "If Nepcote did not leave his revolver in the gun-room the police theory would be upset on an important point, and the case would take on a new aspect. Have you any suspicions that you have not confided to me?"
"He accidentally dropped some cards from his pocket-book when giving Merrington an address at his flat last night, and one of them was Wendover's business card. Merrington did not see it it would have conveyed nothing to him if he had but I did. Nepcote knew that I saw it, and must have realized that I suspected him.
Merrington was forced back on the conclusion that the most important step towards the solution of the mystery was to lay hold of Nepcote, and to that end he directed his own efforts and that of the service of the great organization at his command. As the days went on, he supplemented his original arrangements for Nepcote's arrest with guileful traps.
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