"
"I understand," said Kilsip, nodding his head. "Woman?"
"No, nothing of the kind," retorted Calton, hastily. "I thought so at
first, but I was wrong. He went to see a dying woman, who wished to
tell him something."
"What about?"
"That's just what I can't tell you," answered Calton quickly. "It must
have been something important, for she sent for him in great haste--and
he was by her bedside between the hours of one and two on Friday
morning."
"Then he did not return to the cab?"
"No, he did not, he went to keep his appointment, but, for some reason
or other, he won't tell where this appointment was. I went to his rooms
to-day and found this half-burnt letter, asking him to come."
Calton handed the letter to Kilsip, who placed it on the table and
examined it carefully.
"This was written on Thursday," said the detective.
"Of course--you can see that from the date; and Whyte was murdered on
Friday, the 27th."
"It was written at something Villa, Toorak," pursued Kilsip, still
examining the paper. "Oh! I understand; he went down there."
"Hardly," retorted Calton, in a sarcastic tone. "He couldn't very well
go down there, have an interview, and be back in East Melbourne in one
hour--the cabman Royston can prove that he was at Russell Street at
one o'clock, and his landlady that he entered his lodging in East
Melbourne at two--no, he wasn't at Toorak."
"When was this letter delivered?"
"Shortly before twelve o'clock, at the Melbourne Club, by a girl, who,
from what the waiter saw of her, appears to be a disreputable
individual--you will see it says bearer will wait him at Bourke
Street, and as another street is mentioned, and as Fitzgerald, after
leaving Whyte, went down Russell Street to keep his appointment, the
most logical conclusion is that the bearer of the letter waited for him
at the corner of Bourke and Russell Streets.
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