“That’s him,” said Eben firmly, pointing at Captain Ronald Keane.
Keane sat up. “What do you mean?”
“I mean it’s you I met on my two o’clock round. You told me you’d got on to that floor by mistake, thinking it was your own.”
“Is this true?” Duff asked sternly.
“Why—” Keane looked anxiously about him. “Why, yes—I was up there. You see, I couldn’t sleep, and I wanted a book to read.”
“That’s pretty old—that wanted-a-book-to-read stuff,” the detective reminded him.
“I fancy it is,” returned Keane with a sudden show of spirit. “But it happens occasionally—among literate people I mean. I knew Tait had a lot of books—that young fellow reads to him until late at night. I found it out on the boat. I knew, too, that he was on the third floor, though I wasn’t sure of the room. I just thought
