THE DEAD BODY That both McDonald and his daughter were involved in this strange puzzle was already clear.

The disappearance of the one was as mysterious as that of the other.

Whether the original conspiracy had centred about the Major, and Miss Molly had merely been drawn into the net through accident, or whether both were destined as victims from the first, could not be determined by theory.

Indeed the Sergeant could evolve no theory, could discover no purpose in the outrage.

Convinced that Dupont and his wife were the moving spirits, he yet possessed no satisfactory reason for charging them with the crime, for which there was no apparent object.
Nothing remained to be done but search the town, a blind search in the hope of uncovering some trail.