y at his superior.

"I think, sir, I will just step round to Mr. Halfpenny's office," he
remarked. "Perhaps Mr. Triffitt will accompany me?--then he and I can
have a bit of a talk."

Triffitt looked at Markledew: Markledew nodded his big head.

"Go with him," said Markledew. "Work with him! He knows what he's
after."

Davidge took Triffitt away to Mr. Halfpenny's office--on the way thither
he talked about London fogs, one of which had come down that morning.
But he never mentioned the business in hand until--having left Triffitt
outside while he went in--he emerged from Mr. Halfpenny's room. Then he
took the reporter's arm and led him away, and his manner changed to one
of interest and even enthusiasm.

"Well, young fellow!" he said, leading Triffitt down the street, "you're
the chap I wanted to get hold of!--you're a godsend. And so you really
have a flat next to that occupied by the person whom we'll refer to as
F. B., eh?"

"I have," answered Triffitt, who was full of wonderment.

"Good--good!--couldn't be better!" murmured the detective. "Now then--I
dare say you'd be quite pleased if I called on you at your flat--quietly
and unobtrusively--at say seven o'clock tonight, eh?"

"Delighted!" answered Triffitt. "Of course!"

"Very good," said Davidge. "Then at seven o'clock tonight I shall be
there. In the meantime--not a word. You're curious to know why I'm
coming? All right--keep your curiosity warm till I come--I'll satisfy
it. Tonight, mind, young man--seven, sharp!"

Then he gave Triffitt's arm a squeeze and winked an eye at him, and at
once set off in one direction, while the reporter, mystified and
inquisitive, turned in another.

CHAPTER XXI

THE DESERTED FLAT

When Triffitt had fairly separated from the detective and had come to
reckon up the events of that morning he became definitely conscious of
one indisputable fact. The police knew more than he did. The police were
in possession of information which had not come his way. The police were
preparing some big _coup_. Therefore--the police would get all the
glory.

This was not what Triffitt had desired. He had wanted to find things out
for himself, to make a grand discovery, to be able to go to Markledew
and prove his case. Markledew could then have done what he pleased; it
had always been in Triffitt's mind that Markledew would in all
probability present the result of his reporter's labours to the people
at Scotland Yard. But Markle