y?"

Kerry's teeth snapped together viciously.

"Up to a point it is, sir. The club porter remembers Mareno inquiring
about Sir Lucien, and the people at the garage testify that he took out
the car and returned it as stated."

"No one has come forward who actually saw him waiting outside the club?"

"No one. But unfortunately it was a dark, misty night, and cars waiting
for club members stand in a narrow side turning. Mareno is a surly
brute, and he might have waited an hour without speaking to a soul.
Unless another chauffeur happened to notice and recognize the car nobody
would be any wiser."

The Assistant Commissioner sighed, glancing up for the first time.

"You don't think he waited outside the club at all?" he said.

"I don't, sir!" rapped Kerry.

The Assistant Commissioner rested his head upon his hand again.

"It doesn't seem to be germane to your case, Chief Inspector, in any
event. There is no question of an alibi. Sir Lucien's wrist-watch was
broken at seven-fifteen--evidently at the time of his death; and this
man Mareno does not claim to have left the flat until after that hour."

"I know it, sir," said Kerry. "He took out the car at half-past seven.
What I want to know is where he went to!"

The Assistant Commissioner glanced rapidly into the speaker's fierce
eyes.

"From what you have gathered respecting the appearance of Kazmah, does
it seem possible that Mareno may be Kazmah?"

"It does not, sir. Kazmah has been described to me, at first hand and
at second hand. All descriptions tally in one respect: Kazmah has
remarkably large eyes. In Miss Halley's evidence you will note that she
refers to them as 'larger than any human eyes I have ever seen.' Now,
Mareno has eyes like a pig!"

"Then I take it you are charging him as accessory?"

"Exactly, sir. Somebody got Kazmah and Mrs. Irvin away, and it can only
have been Mareno. Sir Lucien had no other resident servant; he was a
man who lived almost entirely at restaurants and clubs. Again, somebody
cleaned up his papers, and it was somebody who knew where to look for
them."

"Quite so--quite so," murmured the Assistant Commissioner. "Of course,
we shall learn today something of his affairs from his banker. He must
have banked somewhere. But surely, Chief Inspector, there is a safe or
private bureau in his flat?"

"There is, sir," said Kerry grimly; "a safe. I had it opened at six
o'clock this morning. It had been hastily cleaned out; not a