Lisette's brother. Now then, Ebers--we'll stick to that name for the sake
of clearness--was in and out of my rooms a good deal, of course. And
what I want to know now, Mrs. Marlow, is--do you think he got access to
our letters, papers, books? Could he find out, for instance, that I was
engaged in this deal between the Princess Nastirsevitch and Mr. Delkin,
and that Miss Lennard had bought the Pinkie Pell pearls? Think!"

Mrs. Marlow had evidently done her thinking; she replied without
hesitation.

"If he did, or could, it would be through your own carelessness,
Mr. Fullaway," she said. "You know that I am ridiculously careful
about that sort of thing! From the time I come here in the
morning--ten-o'clock--until I leave at five, no one has any chance of
seeing our papers, or our letter book, or our telegram-copies book. They
are always on my desk while I am in the office, and when I go downstairs
to lunch I lock them up in the safe. But--you're not careful! How many
times have I come in the morning, and found that you've taken these
things out of the safe over-night and left them lying about for anybody
to see? Dozens of times!"

"I know--I know!" admitted Fullaway with a groan. "I'm frightfully
careless--always was. I quite admit it, Mrs. Marlow, quite!"

"Of course," continued Mrs. Marlow, in precise, even tones, "of course if
you left the letter-book lying round, and the book in which the
duplicates of all our telegrams and cablegrams are kept, too--why, this
Ebers man could easily read what he liked for himself when he was in here
of a morning before you got up. He was in and out a great deal, that's
certain. And as regards those two affairs, the documents we have about
them are pretty plain, Mr. Fullaway. Anybody of average intelligence
could find out in ten minutes from our letter-book and telegram-book that
we negotiated the sale of the Pinkie Pell pearls to Miss Lennard, and
that Mr. James Allerdyke was bringing here a valuable parcel of jewels
from Russia. And," concluded Mrs. Marlow quietly, "from what I saw of
him, Ebers was a smart man."

Van Koon, who had been listening attentively to all this, turned a
half-whimsical, half-reproving glance on Fullaway, who sat in a contrite
attitude, drumming his fingers on the polished table.

"I guess you're a very careless individual, my friend," he said, shaking
his head. "If you will leave your important papers lying about, as this
lady says you're in the habit of doing, what do you expect? Now, you've
been wondering who got wind of this jewel deal, and here's the very proof
that you gave every chance to this Ebers to acquaint himself with it! And
what I'd like to know now, Fullaway, is this--what use do you suppose
this young fellow made of the information he acquired? That seems to me
to be the point."

"Yes!" exclaimed Allerdyke suddenly. "That is the point!"

Fullaway smote the table.

"The thing's obvious!" he cried. "He sold his information to a gang.
There must have been--I mean must be--a gang. It's utterly impossible
that all this could have been worked by one man. The man we've heard of
in connection with the deaths of Lisette Beaurepaire and of Ebers himself
is only one of the combination. I'm as sure of that as I am that I see
you. But--who are they?"

Nobody answered this question. Allerdyke plunged his hands in his pockets
and stared at Fullaway; Mrs. Marlow began to trace imaginary patterns on
the surface of the table; Van Koon produced a penknife and began to
scrape the edges of his filbert nails with a preoccupied air.

"There's the thing I've insisted on all along, Fullaway, you know," he
said at last, finding that no one seemed inclined to speak. "I've
insisted on it, but you've always put it off. I don't care what you
say--it'll have to come to it. Let me suggest it, now, to our friends
here--they're both cute enough, I reckon!"

"Oh, as you please, as you please!" replied Fullaway, with a wave of his
hands. "Say anything you like, Van Koon--it seems as if too much couldn't
be said at this juncture."

"All right," answered Van Koon. He turned to Allerdyke and Mrs. Marlow.
"Ever since this affair was brought under my notice," he said, "I've
pointed out to Fullaway certain features in connection with it.
First--there's no evidence whatever that this plot originated in or was
worked from Russia. Second--there is evidence that it began here in
London and was carried out from London. And following on that second
proposition comes another. Fullaway knew that these jewels were
coming--"

He paused and gave the secretary a keen look. And Allerdyke, watching her
just as keenly, saw her face and eyes as calm and inscrutable as ever; it
was absolutely evident that nothing could move this woman, no chance word
or allusion take her unawares. Van Koon smiled, and leaned nearer.

"But," he said, tapping the table in emphasis of his words, "there was
somebody else who knew of this deal, somebody whose name Fullaway there
steadfastly refuses to bring in. Delkin!"

Fullaway suddenly laughed, throwing up his arms.

"Delkin!" he exclaimed satirically. "A millionaire several times over!
The thing's ridiculous, Van Koon! Delkin would kick me out if I went and
asked him--"

"Delkin will have to be asked," interrupted Van Koon. "You will not face
the facts, Fullaway. Millionaire, multimillionaire, Delkin was the third
person (I'm leaving this valet, Ebers, clean out, though I've not the
slightest doubt he was one of the pieces of the machine) who knew that
James Allerdyke was bringing two hundred and fifty thousand pounds' worth
of jewels for his, Delkin's approval! That's a fact, Fullaway, which
cannot be got over."

"Psha!" exclaimed Fullaway. "I suppose you think Delkin, who could buy up
the best jeweller's shop in London or Paris and throw its contents to the
street children to play with--"

"What is it that's in your mind, Mr. Van Koon?" asked Allerdyke,
interrupting Fullaway's eloquence. "You've some theory?"

"Well, I don't know about theory," answered Van Koon, "but I guess I've
got some natural common sense. If Fullaway there thinks I'm suggesting
that Delkin organized a grand conspiracy to rob James Allerdyke,
Fullaway's wrong--I'm not. What I am suggesting, and have been suggesting
this last three days, is that Delkin should be asked a plain and simple
question, which is this--did he ever tell anybody of this proposed deal?
If so--whom did he tell? And if that isn't business," concluded Van Koon,
"then I don't know business when I see it!"

"What's your objection?" asked Allerdyke, looking across at Fullaway.
"What objection can you have?"

Fullaway shook his head.

"Oh, I don't know!" he said. "Except that it seems immaterial, and that I
don't want to bother Delkin. I'm hoping that these jewels will be found,
and that I'll be able to complete the transaction, and--besides, I don't
believe for one instant that Delkin would tell anybody. I only had two
interviews with Delkin--one at his hotel, one here. He understood the
affair was an entirely private and secret transaction."

Mrs. Marlow suddenly raised her head, and spoke quickly.

"You're forgetting something, Mr. Fullaway," she said. "You had a letter
from Mr. Delkin confirming the provisional agreement, which was that he
should have the first option of buying the Princess Nastirsevitch's
jewels, then being brought by Mr. James Allerdyke from Russia."

"True--true!" exclaimed Fullaway, clapping a hand to his forehead. "So I
had! I'd forgotten that. But, after all, it was purely a private letter
from Delkin, and--"

"No," interrupted Mrs. Marlow. "It was written and signed by Mr. Delkin's
secretary. So that the secretary knew of the transaction."

Van Koon shook his head and glanced at Allerdyke.

"There you are!" he said. "The secretary knew--Delkin's secretary! How do
we know that Delkin's secretary--?"

"Oh, that's all rot, Van Koon!" exclaimed Fullaway testily.
"Delkin's secretary, Merrifield, has been with him for years to my
knowledge, and--"

But Allerdyke had suddenly risen and was picking up his hat from a side
table. He turned to Fullaway as he put it on.

"I quite agree with Mr. Van Koon," he said, "and as I'm James
Allerdyke's cousin and his executor, I'm going to step round and see
this Mr. Delkin at his hotel--the Cecil, you said. It's no use trifling,
Fullaway--Delkin knew, and Mrs. Marlow now tells us his secretary knew.
All right!--my job is to see, in person, anybody who knew. Then, maybe,
I myself shall get to know."

Van Koon, too, rose.

"I know Delkin, slightly," he said. "I'll go with you."

At that, Fullaway jumped up, evidently annoyed and unwilling, but
prepared to act against his own wishes.

"Oh, all right, all right!" he exclaimed. "In that case we'll all go.
Come on--it's only across the Strand. Back after lunch, Mrs. Marlow, if
anybody wants me."

The three men marched out, and left the pretty secretary standing by the
table from which they had all risen. She stood there for a few minutes in
deep thought--stood until a single stroke from the clock on the
mantelpiece roused her. At that she walked into the outer office, put on
her coat and hat, and, leaving the hotel, went sharply off in the
direction of Arundel Street.




CHAPTER XXVII

THE MILLIONAIRE, THE STRANGER, AND THE PRINCESS


As the three men threaded their way through the crowded Strand and
approached the Hotel Cecil, Fullaway suddenly drew their attention to a
private automobile which was turning in at the entrance to the courtyard.

"There's Delkin, in his car," he exclaimed, "and, great Scott, there's
our Princess with him--Nastirsevitch! But who's the other man? Looks like
a compatriot of ours, Van Koon, eh?"

Van Koon, who had been staring about him as they crossed over from the
corner of Wellington Street, turned and glanced at the occupants of the
car. Allerdyke was looking there, too. He had never seen Delkin as yet,
and he was curious to set eyes on a man who had made several millions out
of canning meat. He had no very clear conception of American
millionaires, and he scarcely knew what he expected to see. But there
were two men in the car with the Princess Nastirsevitch, and they were
both middle-aged. One man was a tall, handsome, military-looking fellow,
dressed in grey tweeds and wearing a Homburg hat of light grey with a
darker band; his upturned, grizzled moustache gave him a smart, rather
aggressive appearance; the monocle in his eye added to his general
impressiveness. The other man was not particularly impressive--a medium
sized, rather plump little man, with a bland, smiling countenance and
mild eyes beaming through gold-rimmed spectacles; he sat with his back to
the driver, and was just then leaning forward to tell something to the
Princess and the man in the Homburg hat who were bending towards him and,
smiling at what he said.

"Which of 'em is Delkin, then?" asked Allerdyke as the automobile swept
into the courtyard. "Big or little?"

"The little fellow with the spectacles," replied Fullaway. "Quiet,
unobtrusive man, Delkin--but cute as they're made. Know the other man,
Van Koon?"

Van Koon had twisted round and was staring back in the direction from
which they had come, he shook his head, a little absent-mindedly.

"Not from Adam," he answered, "but there's a man--Bostonian--just gone
along there that I do know and want to see badly. Wait a bit for me in
the courtyard there, Fullaway--shan't be long."

He turned as he spoke, and darted off through the crowd, unusually dense
at that moment because of the luncheon hour. Fullaway, making no comment,
walked forward into the courtyard and looked about him. Suddenly he
nodded his head towards a far corner.

"There's Delkin and the Princess, and the man who was with them, sitting
at a table over there," he said. "I didn't know that Delkin and the
Princess were acquainted. But then, of course, they're both staying in
this hotel, and they're both American. Well, shall we go to them now,
Allerdyke, or shall we sit down here and wait a bit for Van Koon?"

"We'll wait," replied Allerdyke. He dropped into a chair and drew out his
cigarette-case. "Have a drink while we're waiting?" he suggested,
beckoning a waiter who was passing. "What's it to be?"

"Oh--something small, then," said Fullaway. "Dry sherry. Better bring
three--Van Koon won't be long."

But the minutes passed and Van Koon was still absent. Ten minutes more
went, and still he did not come. And Fullaway pulled out his watch with
an air of annoyance.

"Too bad of Van Koon," he said. "Time's going, and I know Delkin lunches
at two o'clock. Come on, Allerdyke," he continued, rising, "we'll go over
to Delkin. If Van Koon comes, he'll find us. He's probably gone off with
that other man, though--he's an absent-minded chap in some things, and
too much given to the affair of the moment. Come on--I'll introduce you."

The Chicago millionaire, once put in possession of Allerdyke's name,
looked at him with manifest curiosity, and motioned him and Fullaway to
take seats with himself and his two companions.

"We were just talking of your case, Mr. Allerdyke," he said quietly. "The
Princess, of course, has told me about you. Fullaway, I don't know if you
know this gentleman--his name's well enough known, anyway. This gentleman
is Mr. Chilverton, the famous New York detective. Chilverton--Mr.
Fullaway, Mr. Allerdyke."

Fullaway and Allerdyke both looked at the man in the Homburg hat with
great interest as they shook hands with him. Fullaway at any rate knew of
his world-wide reputation; Allerdyke faintly remembered that he had heard
of him in connection with some great criminal affair.

"Been telling Mr. Chilverton about our business, Mr. Delkin?" asked
Fullaway pleasantly. "Asking his expert advice?"

"I've told him no more than what he could read for himself in the
newspapers," answered Delkin. "He's got stuff of his own to attend to,
here in London. About our affair now, as you call it, Fullaway. It's not
my affair, or I guess I'd have been more into it by this time. The
Princess here thinks things are going real slow, and so do I. What do you
think, Mr. Allerdyke!"

"It's a case in which things go slow of sheer necessity," replied
Allerdyke. "It's a case of widespread ramifications--to use a long word.
But--we keep having developments, Mr. Delkin. There's been one this
morning. We came to see you about it--and perhaps you'll let Fullaway
tell!--he'll put things into fewer words than I should."

"Sure!" answered the millionaire. "Go ahead, Fullaway--we're all
interested."

Fullaway briefly told the story of the discovery at the hotel in the
Docks that morning, and explained the deductions which had been made from
it. He detailed the connection of Ebers, alias Federman or Herman, with
himself, and reported the conversation which had just taken place at his
own rooms. And then he turned to Allerdyke, with an expressive gesture.

"I'll let Allerdyke say why we came here," he said. "It was his idea and
Van Koon's--not mine. Your turn, Allerdyke."

"I shan't be slow to take it," responded Allerdyke, stirring himself.
"I'm one business man--Mr. Delkin's another. I only want to ask you,
Mr. Delkin, if you ever talked of this jewel transaction to anybody
beyond your own secretary? It's a plain question, and you'll understand
why I ask it."

"Of course," replied Delkin genially. "Quite right to ask. I can answer
it in one word. No! As to telling my secretary, Merrifield, who's been
with me twelve years, and is a thoroughly trustworthy man, I merely told
him sufficient for him to write and send that formal letter--he knew, and
knows (at least, not from me) no details. No, sir!--never a word from me
got about--not even to my own daughter. Of course, the Princess here and
myself have discussed matters--since she came. And now that you're here,
Fullaway, I'll tell you what I think--straight out. I think this affair
has all been planned from your own office!"

Fullaway flushed and sat up in an attitude of sudden indignation.

"Oh, come, Mr. Delkin!" he exclaimed. "I--"

"Go softly, young man." said Delkin. "I mean no harm to you, and no
reflections on you. But you know, I've been in your office a few times,
and I have eyes in my head. What do you know about that fascinating young
woman you have there? I'm a pretty good judge of human nature and
character, and I should say that young lady is as clever and deep as they
make 'em. Who is she? There's one thing sure from what you've just told
us, Fullaway--you let her know all your business secrets."

Fullaway made no attempt to conceal his chagrin and vexation.

"I've had Mrs. Marlow in my employ for three years," he answered. "She
came to me with excellent testimonials and references. I've just as
much reason to trust her as you have to trust Merrifield. If she'd
been untrustworthy, she could have robbed or defrauded me many a time
over; she--"

"Did she ever have the chance of getting hold of a quarter of a million's
worth of jewels before?" asked Delkin with a shrewd glance at Allerdyke.
"Come, now! Even the most trusted people fall before a very big
temptation. All business folk know that. What's Mr. Allerdyke think?"

Allerdyke was not going to say what he thought. He was wondering if
Fullaway knew what he knew--that Mrs. Marlow was also Miss Slade, that
she had some relations with a man who also bore two different names, that
her actions were somewhat suspicious. But that was not the time to say
all this--he said something non-committal instead.

"There seems to be no doubt that the knowledge that my cousin was
carrying the jewels leaked out here--and from Fullaway's office,"
he answered.

"Through this fellow Ebers!" broke in Fullaway excitedly. "It's all rot
to think that Mrs. Marlow had anything to do with it! Great Scott!--do
any of you mean to suggest that she engineered several murders, and--"

Delkin laughed--a soft, cynical laugh.

"You're lumping a lot of big stuff altogether, Fullaway," he remarked
drily. "Do you know what I think of all this business? I think that
everybody's jumping at conclusions. There are lots of questions,
problems, difficulties that want solving and answering before I come to
any conclusion. I'll tell you what they are," he went on bending forward
in his lounge chair and looking from one to the other of the faces around
him and beginning to tick off his points on the tips of his fingers.
"Listen! One--Was James Allerdyke really murdered, or did he die a
natural death? Two--Had James Allerdyke those jewels in his possession
when he entered that S---- Hotel at Hull! Three--Has the robbery, or
disappearance, of the Princess Nastirsevitch's jewels anything whatever
to do with the theft of Mademoiselle de Longarde's property? Four--Was
that man Lydenberg shot in Hull as a result of some connection with
either, or both, of these affairs, or was he murdered for private or
political reasons? Let me get a clear understanding of everything that's
behind all these problems," he concluded, with a knowing smile, "and I'll
tell you something!"

"You think it possible that the Nastirsevitch affair is the work of one
lot, and the Lennard affair the work of another?" asked Allerdyke,
thoughtfully. "In that case, I'll ask you a question, Mr. Delkin. How do
you account for the fact that my cousin James, the Frenchwoman, Lisette
Beaurepaire, and his valet, Ebers, or Federman, or Herman, were all found
dead under similar circumstances? Come, now!"

"Aye, but were they?" demanded Delkin, clapping his hands together with a
smile of triumphantly suggestive doubt. "Were they? You don't know--and
the expert analysts don't know yet, and perhaps never will. I'll grant
you that there's a strong probability that Ebers and the French maid were
victims of the same murderer; but that doesn't prove that your cousin
was. No, sir!--my impression is that everybody is taking too much for
granted. And whether it offends you or not, Fullaway--and my intention's
good--you ought to make drastic researches into your office
procedure--you know what I mean. The leakage of the secret, sir, came
from--there!"

Fullaway rose.

"Well, I shan't do any good by sitting here," he said, a little huffily.
"If I'm going to begin those drastic researches I'd better begin. Coming,
Allerdyke?"

The two men walked away together after taking leave of the millionaire
and the Princess. But before they were clear of the courtyard,
Chilverton caught them and tapped Fullaway on the elbow.

"Say!" he said confidentially. "You won't mind my asking you--who's this
Van Koon that you mentioned?"

"Man from our side who's been here in London all this spring," answered
Fullaway promptly. "He was coming with Allerdyke and me just now, but he
turned back--just when you and Delkin drove in here."

Chilverton gave Fullaway a quick look.

"Did he see me?" he asked.

"Sure!" replied Fullaway. "Asked who you were--or I did."

"You did," remarked Allerdyke. "Then he went off."

"Describe him," said Chilverton. He listened attentively while Fullaway
gave him a sketch of Van Koon's appearance. "Um!" he continued. "Do you
mind my walking to your hotel with you? I believe I know that man, and
I'd like to see him."

A hall-porter was standing at the door of the Waldorf who had been
there when the three men went out together at one o'clock. Fullaway
beckoned him.

"Seen anything of Mr. Van Koon?" he asked.

"Mr. Van Koon?--yes, sir. He came back a few minutes after you and Mr.
Allerdyke and he had gone out, got a suit-case from upstairs, left word
that he'd be away for the night, and went off in a taxi, sir," answered
the man. "Seemed to be in a great hurry, sir!"

Before Fullaway could speak, Chilverton seized the hall-porter's arm.
"Did you hear him give the cab-driver any direction?"

"Yes, sir," replied the man promptly. "St. Pancras Station, sir."

Without a word, Chilverton turned, hurried out to the pavement, and
leapt into a taxi-cab that was standing there unengaged. In another
instant the taxi-cab was off, and Allerdyke and Fullaway turned to each
other. Then Allerdyke laughed.

"That's why Van Koon turned back, Fullaway," he said in a low voice. "He
recognized Chilverton. Now, then--why did that recognition make him run?
And--who is he?"




CHAPTER XXVIII

THE FIRST PURSUIT


For a moment Fullaway stood in the doorway of the hotel, staring towards
the mouth of Kingsway, around the corner of which Chilverton's cab had
already disappeared. Then he turned, gave Allerdyke a look of absolute
non-comprehension, and with a sudden gesture, as of surrender to
circumstances, walked into the hotel and made for the stairs.

"That licks everything!" he muttered, as he and Allerdyke went up to the
first floor. "Tell you what it is, Allerdyke--my poor brain is getting
into a whirl! We've had quite enough excitement this morning in all
conscience, and now this comes on top of it. Now, how in creation do you
explain this last occurrence?"

Allerdyke laughed cynically.

"I don't know so much of the world as you do, Fullaway," he said, "but I
don't think this needs much explanation. When a man makes himself
suddenly scarce at sight of a well-known detective, I should say that man
knows the detective wants him--badly! My impression is that at this
moment your friend Van Koon is running away from Chilverton, and
Chilverton's going hot-foot after him. And--"

They were at that moment passing the room which Van Koon had occupied,
and Allerdyke suddenly remembered the occasion on which he had seen Mrs.
Marlow steal out of it, suspiciously and furtively, and when its proper
tenant was away. He had carefully abstained from telling Fullaway about
that little incident, preferring to wait until events had further
developed. Should he tell him now--now that there seemed to be evidence
that Van Koon himself was a doubtful character? He hesitated--and while
he hesitated Fullaway strode on, flung open his office door, turned to
the letter-box at the back, and took out some letters and a telegram. He
tore the telegram open, and the next instant flung it on the table with a
fierce exclamation.

"Damn it all, Allerdyke!" he said, waving an indignant hand at the bit of
pink paper. "What in the name of all that's wicked is the meaning of
that? Read it--read!"

Allerdyke picked the telegram up and read it aloud.

"Regret shall be unable to return to office for day or two; called away
on extremely urgent private business.--MARLOW."

He laughed again as he put the telegram back and turned to Fullaway, who,
hands plunged deep in pockets and black of countenance, was stamping up
and down the room.

"Um!" said Allerdyke. "Um! Now, in my humble opinion, Fullaway, that's a
good deal queerer than the Van Koon incident. For look you here--your
secretary was talking to us in your room there at less than five minutes
to one, and we left her here when we went out on the stroke of one. And
yet--look at the wire!--she handed that in at the East Strand post office
within ten minutes after we'd left her! What do you make of that?"

"Damnation!" exclaimed Fullaway. "How the blazes do I know what to make
of it! I seem to be surrounded with--God knows what hellish mysteries!
Allerdyke, is there a regular devil's conspiracy, or--what is there?"

Allerdyke made a show of looking at the telegram again. In reality, he
was considering matters. Should he tell Fullaway what he knew? He was
more than a little tempted to do so. But his natural sense of caution and
reserve stopped the words before they reached his tongue, and he took
another tack.

"You said just now, in talking to Delkin, that you'd the greatest
confidence in this Mrs. Marlow, and had the best references with her,
Fullaway," he remarked. "What references?"

"Good business references!" answered Fullaway excitedly. "The best! Firms
of high standing in the City. Couldn't have had better. Go and ask any of
them about her--I'll lay my last dollar they will say the same. Capital
secretary--clever woman--thoroughly trustworthy!"

"What do you know about her private life?" asked Allerdyke.

"What the deuce has the woman's private life to do with me?" snapped
Fullaway. "I know nothing. So long as she comes here at ten, stops till
five, and does her duty--hang her private life!"

"Do you know where she lives?" asked Allerdyke imperturbably. "But of
course you do."

"Then I don't!" retorted Fullaway. "Somewhere up town, I believe--West
End somewhere. I don't know. I've nothing to do with her private
affairs. I never have had anything to do with the private affairs of any
employee of mine."

"She makes her private affairs have something to do with you though,"
said Allerdyke, tapping the telegram significantly. "But, in my opinion,
that wire's nothing but an excuse. What're you going to do?"

"Oh, I don't know!" exclaimed Fullaway. "I'm about sick of the
whole thing."

Allerdyke pulled out his watch.

"I must go," he said. "I've a business appointment. I'll see you later."

Fullaway made no reply, and Allerdyke left him, went downstairs and
sought Gaffney, whom, having found, he led outside to the street.

"How soon can you lay hands on that brother of yours?" he asked.

"Twenty minutes--in a cab, sir," replied Gaffney.

"Get a cab, then, find him, and drive, both of you, to the warehouse,"
commanded Allerdyke. "You'll find me there."

He himself got a cab, too, and went off to Gresham Street, more puzzled
and doubtful than ever. He closeted himself with Ambler Appleyard and
told him all the details of the eventful morning, and the manager
listened in silence, taking everything in and making his own mental
notes. And with his usual acuteness of perception he quickly separated
the important from the momentarily unimportant.

"You don't want to bother your head about what Mr. Delkin says just now,
Mr. Allerdyke," he said, when Allerdyke had brought this story to an end.
"Never mind his theories--there may be a lot in 'em, and there mayn't be
any more than his personal opinion in 'em. Never mind, too, what
Chilverton wants with Van Koon. Nor if there's any connection between Van
Koon and Miss Slade, or Mrs. Marlow. The thing to do is to find--her!"

"You think she's hooked it?" said Allerdyke.

"I should say that something said by some of you at that talk this
morning in Fullaway's room has startled her into action," answered
Appleyard. "Now let's get at facts. You say she sent that wire from the
East Strand post Office within ten minutes of your leaving her? Very
well--I should say she was on her way to Arundel Street to see Rayner,
alias Ramsay. I wish we'd had a constant watch kept on him. But we'll
soon repair that if you've sent for young Gaffney."

The two Gaffneys arrived at that moment and Appleyard, after some further
talk, assigned them their duties. Gaffney, the chauffeur, was to go at
once and get himself a room at an inn in close proximity to the Pompadour
Hotel, so that he would be at Appleyard's disposal at any hour of the
coming evening and night. Albert Gaffney, the clerk, was to devote
himself to watching Rayner. He was to follow Rayner wherever Rayner went
from the time of his leaving Clytemnestra House that afternoon--even if
Rayner should leave town by motor or by train he was to follow. For, as
Appleyard sagely observed, it was not likely that Mrs. Marlow, alias Miss
Slade, would return to the Pompadour Hotel that night if her fears had
been aroused by what had taken place that morning, and it was a
reasonable presumption that if she and Rayner were in league she would
have communicated with him on leaving Fullaway's office, and that they
would meet again somewhere before the day was over.

"The only thing now," said Appleyard, when the two Gaffneys had been
presented with funds sufficient to carry each through all possible
immediate emergencies, "is to arrange for a meeting to-night. There are
two matters we want to be certain about. First, if Albert Gaffney
witnesses any meeting between Rayner and Miss Slade, and, in that case,
if he can tell us where they go and what they do. Second, if they both
return, or either of them returns to the Pompadour to-night. So it had
better be near the Pompadour--somewhere in that district, anyhow. Can you
suggest any place?" he continued, turning to the chauffeur. "You know
that district well, don't you?"

"Tell you the very spot, sir," answered Gaffney promptly. "Lancaster Gate
itself, sir. Close by there, convenient pub, sir--stands back a bit from
the road. Bar-parlour, sir--quiet corners. What time, sir?"

Appleyard fixed half-past eleven. By that time, he said, he should know
if Mr. Rayner and Miss Slade had returned to the Pompadour; by that time,
too, Albert Gaffney would be in a position to report his own doings and
progress. And so the two Gaffneys went off on their respective missions,
and Allerdyke looked at his manager and made a grimace.

"It's like a lot of blind men seeking for something they couldn't see if
it was shoved under their very noses, Ambler!" he said cynically. "Is it
any good?"

"Maybe," replied Appleyard. "That Albert Gaffney's a smart chap--he'll
not lose sight of Rayner once he begins to track him. And I'm certain as
certain can be that if Miss Slade's in a hole it's Rayner she'll turn to.
Well--we can only wait now. What're you going to do, Mr. Allerdyke?"

"Let's have a bit of a relief," answered, Allerdyke suddenly. "Let's dine
together somewhere and go to a theatre or something until it's time to
keep this appointment. And not a word more of the whole thing till then!"

"You forget that I've got to look in at the Pompadour last thing to see
if those two are there as usual," remarked Appleyard. "But that'll only
take a few minutes--I can call there on our way to the rendezvous. All
right--no more of it until half-past eleven, then."

Albert Gaffney was already in a quiet corner of the bar-parlour of the
appointed meeting-place when the other three arrived there. Appleyard had
already ascertained that neither Rayner nor Miss Slade had returned to
the Pompadour; Gaffney, the chauffeur, who had been keeping an eye on the
exterior of that establishment, had nothing to tell. And Albert's face
was somewhat dismal, and his eye inclined to something like an aggrieved
surliness, as he joined the new-comers and answered their first question.

"It's not my fault, gentlemen," he whispered, bending towards the others