Isn't it a good hypothesis
that she is the red-haired woman in the case, the tool of the
System in which her husband is so heavily involved? I'll have to
add her to my list of suspects."
"Why, you don't think she did the shooting?" I asked, half
hoping, I must admit, for an assenting nod from him.
"Well," he answered dryly, "one shouldn't let any preconceived
hypothesis stand between him and the truth. I've made a guess at
the whole thing already. It may or it may not be right. Anyhow
she will fit into it. And if it's not right, I've got to be
prepared to make a new guess, that's all."
When we reached the laboratory on our return, the inspector's man
Riley was there, waiting impatiently for Kennedy.
"What luck?" asked Kennedy.
"I've got a list of purchasers of that kind of revolver," he
said. "We have been to every sporting-goods and arms-store in the
city which bought them from the factory, and I could lay my
hands on pretty nearly every one of those weapons in twenty-four
hours--provided, of course, they haven't been secreted or
destroyed."
"Pretty nearly all isn't good enough," said Kennedy. "It will
have to be all, unless--"
"That name is in the list," whispered Riley hoarsely.
"Oh, then it's all right," answered Kennedy, brightening up.
"Riley, I will say that you're a wonder at using the organisation
in ferreting out such things.
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