you."

"He evidently had an appointment of such urgency that he could permit
nothing to stand in his way."

"He is a very clever man, Mr. Innes. He removed the telephone from the
room in which he had locked Stokes, so that my blundering assistant was
detained for nearly fifteen minutes--detained, in fact, until his cries
from the window attracted the attention of a passing constable!"

"Nicol Brinn's man did not release him?"

"No, he said he had no key."

"What happened?"

"Stokes wanted to detain the servant, whose name is Hoskins, but I
simply wouldn't hear of it. I am a poor man, but I would cheerfully give
fifty pounds to know where Nicol Brinn is at this moment."

Innes stood up restlessly and began to drum his fingers upon the table
edge. Presently he looked up, and:

"There's a shadow of hope," he said. "Rector--you know Rector?--had been
detailed by the chief to cover the activities of Nicol Brinn. He has not
reported to me so far to-night."

"You mean that he may be following him?" cried Wessex.

"It is quite possible--following either Nicol Brinn or the woman."

"My God, I hope you're right!--even though it makes the Criminal
Investigation Department look a bit silly."

"Then," continued Innes, "there is something else which you should know.
I heard to-day from a garage, with which Mr. Harley does business, that
he hired a racing car last night. He has often used it before. It met
him half-way along Pall Mall at seven o'clock, and he drove away in it
in the direction of Trafalgar Square."

"Alone?"

"Yes, unfortunately."

"Toward Trafalgar Square," murmured Wessex.

"Ah," said Innes, shaking his head, "that clue is of no importance.
Under the circumstances the chief would be much more likely to head away
from his objective than toward it."

"Quite," murmured Wessex. "I agree with you. But what's this?"

The telephone bell was ringing, and as Innes eagerly took up the
receiver:

"Yes, yes, Mr. Innes speaking," he said, quickly. "Is that you, Rector?"

The voice of Rector, one of Paul Harley's assistants, answered him over
the wire:

"I am speaking from Victoria Station, Mr. Innes."

"Yes!" said Innes. "Go ahead."

"A very odd-looking woman visited Mr. Nicol Brinn's chambers this
evening. She was beautifully dressed, but wore the collar of her fur
coat turned up about her face, so that it was difficult to see her. But
somehow I think she was an Oriental."

"An Oriental!" exclaime