“It would depend on the man, of course,” he said at last.  And then some new idea was born within him.  “Your direct connection with the crime seems to be disproved, Mr. Wynne,” he remarked slowly; “and if we admit his innocence,” he jerked a thumb at the expert, “there remains yet another view-point.  Do you see it?”

The young man turned upon him quickly.

“Does it occur to you that every argument I advanced to furnish you with a motive for the crime might be applied with equal weight against—­against Miss Kellner?”

“Doris!” flamed Mr. Wynne.  For the first time his perfect self-possession deserted him, and he came to his feet with gripping hands.  “Why—­why—!  What are you talking about?”

“Sit down,” advised the chief quietly.

Mr. Czenki glanced at them once uneasily, then resumed his fixed stare out of the window.

“Sit down,” said the chief again.

Mr. Wynne glared at him for an instant, then dropped back into his chair.  His hands were clenched desperately, and a slight flush in his clean-cut face showed the fight he was making to restrain himself.

“All the property this old man owned, including the diamonds, would become her property in the event of his death—­or murder,” the chief added mercilessly.  “That’s true, isn’t it?”

“But when she entered this room her every act testified to her innocence,” Mr. Wynne burst out passionately.

The chief shrugged his shoulders.

“She has been living at a little hotel in Irving Place,” the young man rushed on.  “The people there can satisfy you as to her whereabouts on Saturday?”

Again the chief shrugged his shoulders.

“And remember, please, that the best answer to all that is that Haney had the diamonds!”

“It doesn’t necessarily follow, Mr. Wynne,” said the other steadily, “that she committed the crime with her own hands.  It comes down simply to this:  If there were only sixty thousand dollars’ worth of diamonds then the one motive which Czenki might have had is eliminated; because Haney had practically fifty thousand dollars’ worth of them, and here are some others.  There would have been no share for your expert here.  And again, if there were only sixty thousand dollars’ worth of the diamonds you or Miss Kellner would have been the only persons to benefit by this death.”

“But Haney had those!” protested Mr. Wynne.

“Just what I’m saying,” agreed the other complacently.  “Therefore there were more than sixty thousand dollars’ worth.  However we look at it, whoever may have been Haney’s accomplice, that point seems settled.”

“Or else Haney lied,” declared Mr. Wynne flatly.  “If Haney came here alone, killed this old man and stole the diamonds there would be none of these questions, would there?”

Mr. Birnes, who had listened silently, arose suddenly and left the room.  Mr. Wynne’s last suggestion awakened a new train of thought in the police official’s mind, and he considered it silently for a moment.  Finally he shook his head.