Page:The Viaduct Murder (1926).pdf/49

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PIECING IT TOGETHER
35

"But even so you wouldn't have hems in a shopping-list."

"It might be ham."

"But one doesn't buy ham at the hosier's."

"And why did he write at the edge of the paper like that?"

"If it comes to that, who was the he? It's not Brotherhood's writing⁠—I've verified that from the club book. I fancy this goes pretty deep. Look here, here's a bit of detection for you. That sheet has been torn off at the left-hand side, hasn't it? Now, was it torn off before or after the writing was put on it?"

"Before, surely. Otherwise the initial letters wouldn't be so complete; he'd have been certain to tear across them."

"I'm not so sure. Who writes so close to the edge of a piece of paper as that? Remember, I copied the thing down exactly, and each word was close up against the tear."

"I don't quite see what difference it makes, anyhow," objected Gordon.

"More than you think, perhaps. I shouldn't wonder if this bit of paper turned up trumps, when we've thought it over a bit more. But there's one thing that fairly beats me."

"What's that?"

"Those two watches. It doesn't seem to me to make any sense. Well, we'd better get to bed and sleep over it."

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