It's only in books that we meet the reverse. You
remember it's Gaboriau who advises one always to distrust the
probable?"
"Yes. I don't agree with him."
"Nor I. Now take this case, for instance. I think it's safe to state
that murder, where it's not the result of sudden passion, is always
committed for one of two objects--revenge or gain. But Mr. Holladay's
past life has been pretty thoroughly probed by the reporters, and
nothing has been found to indicate that he had ever made a deadly
enemy, at least among the class of people who resort to murder--so
that does away with revenge. On the other hand, no one will gain by
his death--many will lose by it--in fact, the whole circle of his
associates will lose by it. It might seem, at first glance, that his
daughter would gain; but I think she loses most of all. She already
had all the money she could possibly need; and she's lost her father,
whom, it's quite certain, she loved dearly. So what remains?"
"Only one thing," I said, deeply interested in this exposition.
"Sudden passion."
He nodded exultantly.
"That's it. Now, who was the woman? From the first I was certain it
could not be his daughter--the very thought was preposterous. It seems
almost equally absurd, however, to suppose that Holladay could be
mixed up with any other woman.
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