★ XXIII ★
One word of the stranger’s speech as reported by Heinrich, had given Neill the clue which finally led to his identification as Kettering: “He said he had a client who was a banana-importer.”
From a servant in the Kettering home Neill had adroitly fished the information that: (a) her master had not been at home since he had left for the office Monday morning; (b) Horace, junior, and his wife lived with the old folks; (c) Horace, junior, was out of town with his father; (d) Mrs. Horace, junior, was quite well.
A filling station near the Kettering home had informed Neill that Horace, junior, had started out alone at five o’clock on Wednesday morning with the fishing and camping impedimenta.
The question about the package mailed from Absalom’s was a shot in the dark that foun
