d Innes.

"I waited for her to come out," Rector continued. "She had arrived in
a cab, which was waiting, and I learned from the man that he had picked
her up at Victoria Station."

"Yes?"

"She came out some time later in rather a hurry. In fact, I think there
was no doubt that she was frightened. By this time I had another cab
waiting."

"And where did she go?" asked Innes.

"Back to Victoria Station."

"Yes! Go on!"

"Unfortunately, Mr. Innes, my story does not go much further. I wasted
very little time, you may be sure. But although no train had left from
the South Eastern station, which she had entered, there was no sign of
her anywhere. So that I can only suppose she ran through to the Brighton
side, or possibly out to a car, which may have been waiting for her
somewhere."

"Is that all?" asked Innes, gloomily.

"That's all, Mr. Innes. But I thought I would report it."

"Quite right, Rector; you could do no more. Did you see anything of
Detective Sergeant Stokes before you left Piccadilly?"

"I did," replied the other. "He also was intensely interested in Nicol
Brinn's visitor. And about five minutes before she came out he went
upstairs."

"Oh, I see. She came out almost immediately after Stokes had gone up?"

"Yes."

"Very well, Rector. Return to Piccadilly, and report to me as soon as
possible." Innes hung up the receiver.

"Did you follow, Wessex?" he said. "Stokes was on the right track, but
made a bad blunder. You see, his appearance led to the woman's retreat."

"He explained that to me," returned the inspector, gloomily. "She got
out by another door as he came in. Oh! a pretty mess he has made of
it. If he and Rector had been cooperating, they could have covered her
movements perfectly."

"There is no use crying over spilt milk," returned Innes. He glanced
significantly in the inspector's direction. "Miss Abingdon has rung up
practically every hour all day," he said.

Wessex nodded his head.

"I'm a married man myself," he replied, "and happily married, too. But
if you had seen the look in her eyes when I told her that Mr. Harley had
disappeared, I believe you would have envied him."

"Yes," murmured Innes. "They haven't known each other long, but I should
say from what little I have seen of them that she cares too much for her
peace of mind." He stared hard at the inspector. "I think it will break
her heart if anything has happened to the chief. The sound of her voice
over the t