Killick, who had listened to Ayscough with close attention, laughed,
and turned to the officials with a sharp look.
"Shall I give you people a bit of my opinion after hearing all this?" he
said. "Very well, then--Levendale never did send that wire! It was sent in
Levendale's name--to keep things quiet. I believe that Levendale's been
trapped--and Purvis with him!"
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
THE ORANGE-YELLOW DIAMOND
His various listeners had heard all that the old solicitor had said, with
evident interest and attention--now, one of them voiced what all the rest
was thinking.
"What makes you think that, Mr. Killick?" asked the man from New Scotland
Yard. "Why should Levendale and Purvis have been trapped?"
Mr. Killick--who was obviously enjoying this return to the arena in which,
as some of those present well knew, he had once played a distinguished
part, as a solicitor with an extensive police-court practice--twisted
round on his questioner with a sly, knowing glance.
"You're a man of experience!" he answered. "Now come!--hasn't it struck
you that something went before the death of old Daniel Multenius--whether
that death arose from premeditated murder, or from sudden assault? Eh?--
hasn't it?"
"What, then?" asked the detective dubiously.
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