ghly that Mr. Jones was only playing
ships!"

Sir Edward shook his head.

"It makes one wonder," he said.

CHAPTER XXI. A CLUE

By midday on the following morning London was placarded with notices,
the heading of which was sensational enough to attract observation from
every passer-by, young or old, rich or poor. One thousand pounds' reward
for the apprehension of the murderer of either Hamilton Fynes or Richard
Vanderpole! Inspector Jacks, who was amongst the first to hear the news,
after a brief interview with his chief put on his hat and walked round
to the Home Office. He sought out one of the underlings with whom he
had some acquaintance, and whom he found ready enough, even eager, to
discuss the matter.

"There wasn't a word about any reward," Inspector Jacks was told, "until
this morning. We had a telephone message from the chief's bedroom and
phoned you up at once. It's a pretty stiff amount, isn't it?"

"It is," the Inspector admitted. "Our chief seems to be taking quite a
personal interest in the matter all at once."

"I'll lay two to one that some one was on to him at Sir Edward
Bransome's reception last night," the other remarked. "I know very well
that there was no idea of offering a reward yesterday afternoon. We
might have come out with a hundred pounds or so, a little later on,
perhaps, but there was nothing of this sort in the air. I've no desire
to seem censorious, you know, Jacks," the young man went on, leaning
back in his chair and lighting a cigarette, "but it does seem a
dashed queer thing that you can't put your finger upon either of these
fellows."

Inspector Jacks nodded gloomily.

"No doubt it seems so to you," he admitted. "You forget that we have
to have a reasonable amount of proof before we can tap a man on the
shoulder and ask him to come with us. It isn't so abroad or in America.
There they can hand a man up with less than half the evidence we have
to be prepared with, and, of course, they get the reputation of being
smarter on the job. We may learn enough to satisfy ourselves easily, but
to get up a case which we can put before a magistrate and be sure of not
losing our man, takes time."

"So you've got your eye on some one?" The young man asked curiously.

"I did not say so," the Inspector answered warily. "By the bye, do you
think there would be any chance of five minutes' interview with your
chief?"

The young man shook his head slowly.

"What a cheek you've got