The Perfect Alibi

A famous escapologist of the music-halls, Ubique, has accepted the challenge of a newspaper editor that he cannot escape from a police cell, after being bound and locked in, within a space of six hours.  There is only one condition, that he is not watched at all during that time.  The Chief Constable has put the local station at his disposal and Inspector Clark and a Constable tie him up in the presence of Hawkins, his manager, a photographer and a reporter, Garside. The Editor arrives just as he is about to be placed in the cell and Ubique recognizes him as Corfield, the man who had some years ago stolen his girl and then left her to die in poverty. Corfield is wearing a scarf that Ubique had given the girl and Ubique threatens to strangle him with it. However, he is calmed down by the Chief Constable and locked up and everyone goes about their business until six o'clock, when they return to release him. But during this time Corfield has been found murdered in his flat, strangled with the scarf. When they look into the cell they find Ubique still tied up; he confesses the bonds were too much for him and cheerfully pays the thousand pounds of the wager. Detective-Sergeant Wallace, who has been examining Corfield's flat, has found a cigar identical with one smoked by Ubique at the station and it slowly dawns on the Inspector that Ubique must not only have undone his bonds and got out of the cell but also have got back and tied himself up again. No jury would believe he could have performed this impossible feat and so for the thousand pounds he has bought himself the perfect alibi.