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"MARTHE GOBIN"

Hanaud leant back with an extraordinary look of perplexity upon

his face But to Ricardo the whole story was now clear Here was

an independent witness, without the jealousy or rancours of Helene

Vauquier Nothing could bethan her statement; it

corroborated those footlass

door of the salon There was nothing to be done except to set

about arresting Mlle Celie at once

"The facts ith your theory, M Hanaud The young man with

the black moustache did not return to the house at Geneva For

soe He

was driving back the car to Aix--" And then another thought struck

hi See! They did

not reach home until five minutes to three"

Five minutes to three! But this demolished the whole of Hanaud's

theory about the motor-car The murderers had left the villa

between eleven and twelve, probably before half-past eleven The

car was a machine of sixty horse-power, and the roads were certain

to be clear Yet the travellers only reached their home at three

Moreover, the car was back in Aix at four It was evident they did

not travel by the car