"Well," went on Baddeley, "there are three people against whom we can lodge a motive or a partial motive." He ticked them off on his fingers. "(One) Webb--Prescott interrupted him or was in some way connected with him ... he had been out that night on some pretext. (Two) Lieutenant Barker--he had financial reasons for wishing Prescott out of the way--and his I.O.U. cannot be traced. (Three) Major Hornby--he was Barker's friend and brother officer. And had lost money to Prescott similarly. Also he was the reverse of candid when I spoke to him." He paused and considered. "They're the three I've got something against, Roper, and one of those three had the shoe-lace in his pocket. Pretty conclusive, some people would say, and yet ... and yet. I'm not satisfied. Can you see the unusual features of this affair, Roper?"
"Seem to me a large number, sir," answered Roper. "Do you mean any particular one?"
"I mean this. Everybody in the house has got the same alibi--of course an unsupported and unsatisfactory one, I admit--but there it is. 'I was asleep, Inspector.'"
"I suppose if the murdered man were here and could speak, he'd say he was asleep too!" Roper grinned at the sally.
"Young Mr. Considine and Captain Arkwright admitted to a certain amount of wakefulness, sir," he reminded the Inspector.
"Yes--I know. Arkwright heard the 'Spider'--I've no doubt on that point--Jack Considine may have heard anything--Marshall--Mrs. Webb, if you prefer it--possibly leaving the billiard room--it's an idea certainly."
Roper pursed his lips together. "It's the motives some people _may_ have had, sir, the motives that have to be probed for. What's that bit the French say about looking for a woman always?"
"_Cherchez la femme_," said Baddeley. "I wonder."
"Any one of the people up at the Manor may be guilty, sir, it seems to me," continued the indefatigable Roper, "and then again it may come back quite simply and directly to 'Spider' Webb. The job is to pick out the main trail and not go dashing off into side tracks that eventually become blind alleys."
"Very true, Roper, very true," smiled Baddeley. "But it isn't quite so easy as you imagine; one of your side tracks may turn out to be that main trail and what you think is the main trail, may prove to be only a side track."