The two detectives went over the body meticulously.  Warren had been shot through the heart.  Carroll bent to inspect the wound, and when he straightened his manner showed that he had become convinced of one important fact.  In response to Leverage’s query, he explained: 

“Shot fired from mighty close,” he said.

“Sure?”

“The flame from the gun has scorched his clothes.  That’s proof enough.”

“In the taxi, eh?”

“Possibly.”

“But the driver would have heard.”

“He probably would; but he didn’t.”

“Ye-e-es.”

Carroll resumed his inspection of the body, examining every detail of figure and raiment; and while he worked he talked.

“You know something about this chap?”

“More or less.  He’s prominent socially; belongs to clubs, and all that sort of thing.  Has money—­real money.  Bachelor—­lives alone.  Has a valet, and all that kind of rot.  Owns his car.  Golfer—­tennis-player—­huntsman.  Popular with women—­and men, too, I believe.  About thirty-three years old.”

“Business?”

“None.  He’s one of the few men in town who don’t work at something.  That’s how I happen to know so much about him.  A chap who’s different from other fellows is usually worth knowing something about.”

“Right you are!  But that sort of a man—­you’d hardly think he’d be the victim of—­hello, what’s this?”

Carroll had been going through the dead man’s wallet.  He rose to his feet, and as he did so Leverage saw that the purse was stuffed with bills of large denomination—­a very considerable sum of money.  But apparently Carroll was not interested in the money; in his hand he held a railroad-ticket and a small purple Pullman check.

“What’s the idea?” questioned Leverage.

“Brings us back to the woman again,” replied Carroll, with peculiar intensity.

“How so?”

“He was planning to take a trip with her.”

Leverage glanced at the other man with an admixture of skepticism and wonder.

“How did you guess that?”

“I didn’t guess it.  It’s almost a sure thing.  At least, it is pretty positive that he was not planning to go alone.”

“Yes?  Tell me how you know.”

Carroll extended his hand.

“See here—­a ticket for a drawing-room to New York, and one railroad-ticket!”

“Yes, but—­”

“Two railroad-tickets are required for possession of the drawing-room,” he said quietly.  “Warren had only one.  It is clear, then, that the holder of the missing ticket was going to accompany him; so what we have to do now—­”

“Is to find the other railroad-ticket,” finished Leverage dryly.  “Which isn’t any lead-pipe cinch, I’d say!”

CHAPTER IV

CARROLL HAS A VISITOR

Carroll gazed intently upon the face of the dead man.  There was a half quizzical light in the detective’s eyes as he spoke, apparently to no one.