Sallie Page could tell nothing, the maid was out of the city, and none
of the clerks knew more of what had happened than they were told.

Playing up Darcy's story, Daley and some of the other reporters
speculated on whether or not a burglar might have entered the store,
leaving no trace of his uncanny skill, and, in his wanderings about the
place, have entered Darcy's room. He might even have attempted to
chloroform the jewelry worker, it was suggested, and perhaps did,
slightly. Then, descending to the store, the intruder might have
started to loot the safe when he was disturbed by Mrs. Darcy, who may
have come down to see what the unusual noise was.

Such, at least, was a theory, and one several took stock in. At any
rate Darcy, after having been aroused, by what he knew not, had gone to
sleep again, only to awaken to hurry down to do the repair work on the
watch of the East Indian--the watch that was found so uncannily ticking
in the otherwise silent jewelry store, clasped in the hand of the dead
woman. It was mentioned that Singa Phut was being kept under
observation, though no suspicion attached to him.

Darcy had at first nervously, and then indignantly, protested his
innocence, King continually doing the latter. Naturally there
followed, even with the faint suspicions so far engendered, the
question as to what the possible object for the crime could have been,
presuming either man had been involved.

It was known that King was constantly in debt, in spite of his
allowance and the more substantial advances he received from time to
time. He had patronized the jewelry store, and he admitted owing Mrs.
Darcy quite a large sum for a brooch he had purchased for his wife some