Legge said: «And what about the subject matter, eh?»

Inspector Maine said gravely: «I’m coming to that, sir.» He cleared his throat. «I’ve investigated those accusations as thoroughly as I can.»

«Starting with the Rogerses who were the first to arrive on the island. They were in service with a Miss Brady who died suddenly. Can’t get anything definite out of the doctor who attended her. He says they certainly didn’t poison her, or anything like that, but his personal belief if that there was some funny business – that she died as the result of neglect on their part. Says it’s the sort of thing that’s quite impossible to prove.»

«Then there is Mr. Justice Wargrave. That’s O. K. He was the judge who sentenced Seton.»

«By the way, Seton was guilty – unmistakably guilty. Evidence turned up later after he was hanged which proved that beyond any shadow of doubt. But there was a good deal of comment at the time – nine people out of ten thought Seton was innocent and that the judge’s summing up had been vindictive.»

«The Claythorne girl, I find, was governess in a family where a death occurred by drowning. However, she doesn’t seem to have had anything to do with it, and as a matter of fact she behaved very well, swam out to the rescue and was actually carried out to sea and only just rescued in time.»

«Go on,» said the A.C. with a sigh.

Maine took a deep breath.

«Dr. Armstrong now. Well-known man. Had a consulting room in Harley Street. Absolutely straight and aboveboard in his profession. Haven’t been able to trace any record of an illegal operation or anything of that kind. It’s true that there was a woman called Clees who was operated on by him way back in 1925 at Leithmore, when he was attached to the hospital there. Peritonitis and she died on the operating table. Maybe he wasn’t very skillful over the op. – after all he hadn’t much experience – but after all clumsiness isn’t a criminal offence. There was certainly no motive.»

«Then there’s Miss Emily Brent. Girl, Beatrice Taylor, was in service with her. Got pregnant, was turned out by her mistress and went and drowned herself. Not a nice business – but again not criminal.»

«That,» said the A.C, «seems to be the point. U. N. Owen dealt with cases that the law couldn’t touch.»

Maine went stolidly on with his list.

«Young Marston was a fairly reckless car driver – had his license endorsed twice and he ought to have been prohibited from driving, in my opinion. That’s all there is to him. The two names John and Lucy Combes were those of two kids he knocked down and killed near Cambridge. Some friends of his gave evidence for him and he was let off with a fine.

„Can’t find anything definite about General Macarthur. Fine record – war service – all the rest of it. Arthur Richmond was serving under him in France and was killed in action. No friction of any kind between him and the General. They were close friends, as a matter of fact. There were some blunders made about that time – commanding officers sacrificed men unnecessarily – possibly this was a blunder of that kind.“