Solar Pons paused and blew a cloud of aromatic blue smoke toward the ceiling as he gazed sternly downward at the deflated figure of Sir Clive.
"In all the trivial cases, where the person responsible could have simply opened catches or bolts, the doors of the cages had been smashed. Yet in the cases of the larger animals where there were heavy doors and stout padlocks, the intruder had not smashed them, but instead had used a key, which argued inside knowledge."
"It is interesting, Pons, but I do not quite see.. " I began.
Solar Pons transfixed me with a look.
"It was elementary, my dear Parker. Two different people were the authors of the events. Hodgson, motivated by revenge, was determined to throw suspicion on his rival, young Hardcastle, for the affections of Miss Westover. That is understandable, if contemptible. But Hodgson, though unbalanced by jealousy was conditioned by training and respect for his calling. He would not endanger human life in his scheme to discredit his rival. And though he committed damage it was extremely trivial. Sir Clive had access to all the keys or could have had them copied, so he avoided the noise which would have been made late at night by smashing the heavy locks. It was as simple as that. That was one of the striking differences and I at once concluded there were two strands to the affair. The mystery and the ensuing publicity were a godsend to Sir Clive. He had long been blackmailed by Jefferies, as is made clear by the correspondence I have read, and had been bled white. The so-called Phantom's activities provided him with an excellent opportunity, so a few weeks ago he began his own series of atrocities, which were of a far more serious kind; ranging from the freeing of dangerous spiders to the tigress and Polar bear. They had to be dangerous creatures to make the death of Jefferies more plausible."
Sir Clive passed a handkerchief across his streaming face with shaking fingers.
"You are right, Mr Pons," he said. "I must have been mad but you cannot judge me unless you know the full circumstances."
"I am not presuming to judge you, Sir Clive," said Solar Pons, rubbing his chin. "That is not my function and I leave it to those better qualified."
"Jefferies has had thousands from me," said Sir Clive wearily. "We had been rivals for years. And the damnable thing is that he used much of the money to build new facilities at the Zoo and so gain fresh kudos for his own name."
He turned burning eyes on my companion.
"How on earth did you know, Mr Pons?"
Solar Pons shook his head.
"It was mere suspicion at first, but it strengthened as my investigations continued. As I have said the pattern was so different in the two sets of incidents. I have already explained how I came to suspect Hodgson and Miss Westover confirmed the matter. But I very soon realised that the person who had been loosing the larger mammals had access to a large portion of the Zoo. Furthermore, no-one suspicious had been seen either in or just outside the grounds. Therefore the miscreant had to be someone who could move about the Zoo, particularly at night, without attracting suspicion. A member of the staff or a high-ranking official. When I saw that your house adjoined the grounds and that a gate gave access to the Zoo premises my suspicions crystallised."
"So that was why you said something further might happen, Pons!" I exclaimed.
Solar Pons nodded.
"But even I did not realise what a tragic turn events would take. I had to make sure. Hodgson was nothing.
I could have exposed him at any time. What I wanted to learn was why the more serious incidents were taking place. Well, we have found out."
He looked at the smouldering remnants of the fire in the grate, his deep-set eyes seeming to gaze far beyond them.
"The pattern was repeated in the near-tragic incident of the Polar bear. I retrieved from its claws a length of grey thread."
He produced the small transparent paper envelope from his pocket as he spoke.
"I immediately identified it as coming from a suit of good material. When I saw that Sir Clive wore a grey suit today and that a button was missing from the three on his right sleeve, I knew that he had had a narrow escape when releasing the beast from the enclosure. And I also knew that I had my man though I did not then know he was a potential murderer. The keepers wore coarse blue uniforms and the threads did not match."
He picked up the limp arm of the recumbent President and help up his sleeve for me to see. There was a button missing and I noticed immediately that the thread was a perfect match to that on the Director's coat. Sir Clive was breathing stertorously and he struggled into a more erect position.
"I submit that Jefferies called here tonight, probably for another payment or perhaps to hand over some letters," Pons went on. "You had already prepared the ground and you struck him on the neck with that heavy iron poker in the fireplace, when his back was turned. It was a foggy evening when you were unlikely to be seen and it was this which prompted you to make the appointment. When you had killed your tormentor you dragged him out through the French windows, with the study in darkness, of course, and down the path into the Zoo grounds. The public had long gone and there would be very few staff about on such a night. You counted on that."
"You are a devil, Mr Pons," said Sir Clive softly, his eyes never leaving Pons' face.
"Hardly, Sir Clive. Merely a person devoted to justice. I could not fail to see the heel-marks of your victim in the grass of the lawn. Though no doubt they will be gone by morning if there is rain. And in any case who would be able to see them in the current foggy weather."
"But how would Sir Clive get the body to the gorilla-house, Pons?" I asked.
Solar Pons shrugged his lean shoulders.
"That was the easiest part, Parker. Probably one of the keepers' wheel-barrows. It would have taken only a moment to have tipped Jefferies in. I noticed two barrows in the gorilla-house. Apart from that the gorilla is a vegetarian. And Jefferies was an expert on them. Sir Clive used a key again on this occasion as he needed to be quick — and quiet. And then smashed the glass on his way out to attract attention to the murder, doing it from the wrong side in the stress of the moment."
"You are right, Mr Pons," said Sir Clive, his eyes still open and staring.
"But you had noticed, as did I, that Jefferies had been bleeding slightly from the mouth," Pons continued. "You found, as I have already ascertained, that there were flecks of blood on the study floor. You wished to burn the documents on the desk there but there was no wood. And you also needed a cloth. You went out for both which gave me an opportunity to read some of the letters."
Sir Clive sat now with his head in his hands, his heavy breathing the only sign of life.
"There is just one flaw, Pons," I said. "Sir Clive's servants would know Jefferies had been here. They would have told the police tomorrow."
"Certainly, Parker. But I have no doubt Sir Clive would have mentioned it himself. But Mr Jefferies would have left a good while before his body was found. Sir Clive would not know whether he had used the side-gate into the Zoo or not. And in any event I have no doubt that he would have let Jefferies out when none of the servants were about. And have made sure to have wished him good-night as loudly as possible."
"You think of everything, Pons."
"On the contrary, Parker, it is Sir Clive who has given this matter much thought. I am merely the humble instrument of justice."
"Justice, Mr Pons? You call it justice?"
Sir Clive sat up and removed his hands from his face. He looked at us bitterly.
"Yes, Mr Pons, I did all those things. You are correct in every respect. But if ever a man deserved to die it was Jefferies. A fouler creature never walked in shoe-leather. I am not sorry he is dead. I should have done it sooner. But I want you to believe that I would never have let Hodgson take the blame for my crime."