“Yes, sir,” Jenkins quavered.  “Mr. Silas thought he had dropped his own handkerchief in the room with the body.  I don’t know how you’ve found these things out.”

“By adding two and two,” Paredes laughed.  “In the first place, you must all realize that we might have had no mystery at all if it hadn’t been for Miss Katherine.  For I don’t know that Maria could have done much in a legal way.  Silas Blackburn had intended to dispose of the body immediately, but Miss Katherine heard the panel move and ran to the corridor.  She made Jenkins break down the door, and she sent for the police.  Silas Blackburn was helpless.  He was beaten at that moment, but he did the best he could.  He went to Waters, hoping, at the worst, to establish an alibi through the book-worm who probably wouldn’t remember the exact hour of his arrival.  Waters’s house offered him, too, a strategic advantage.  You heard him say the spare room was on the ground floor.  You heard him add that he refused to open his door, either asking to be left alone or failing to answer at all.  And he had to return to the Cedars the next day, for he missed his handkerchief, and he pictured himself, since he thought it was his own, in the electric chair.  I’m right, Jenkins?”

“Yes, sir.  I kept him hidden and gave him his chance along in the afternoon.  He wanted me to try to find the handkerchief, but I didn’t have the courage.  He couldn’t find it.  He searched through the panel all about the body and the bed.”

“That was when Katherine heard,” Bobby said, “when we found the body had been moved.”

“It put him in a dreadful way,” Jenkins mumbled, “for no one had bothered to tell me it was young Mr. Robert the detective suspected, and when Mr. Silas heard the detective boast that he knew everything and would make an arrest in the morning, he thought about the handkerchief and knew he was done for unless he took Howells up.  And the man did ask for trouble, sir.  Well!  Mr. Silas gave it to him to save himself.”

“I’ve never been able to understand,” Paredes said, “why he didn’t take the evidence when he killed Howells.”

“Didn’t you know you prevented that, sir?” Jenkins asked.  “I heard you come in from the court.  I thought you’d been listening.  I signalled Mr. Silas there was danger and to get out of the private stairway before you could trap him.  And I couldn’t give him another chance for a long time.  Some of you were in the room after that, or Miss Katherine and Mr. Graham were sitting in the corridor watching the body until just before Mr. Robert tried to get the evidence for himself.  Mr. Silas had to act then.  It was his last chance, for he thought Mr. Robert would be glad enough to turn him over to the law.”

“Why did you ever hide that stuff in Miss Katherine’s room?” Bobby asked.

Jenkins flung up his hands.