Fullaway made no reply, and Allerdyke left him, went downstairs and
sought Gaffney, whom, having found, he led outside to the street.

"How soon can you lay hands on that brother of yours?" he asked.

"Twenty minutes--in a cab, sir," replied Gaffney.

"Get a cab, then, find him, and drive, both of you, to the warehouse,"
commanded Allerdyke. "You'll find me there."

He himself got a cab, too, and went off to Gresham Street, more puzzled
and doubtful than ever. He closeted himself with Ambler Appleyard and
told him all the details of the eventful morning, and the manager
listened in silence, taking everything in and making his own mental
notes. And with his usual acuteness of perception he quickly separated
the important from the momentarily unimportant.

"You don't want to bother your head about what Mr. Delkin says just now,
Mr. Allerdyke," he said, when Allerdyke had brought this story to an end.
"Never mind his theories--there may be a lot in 'em, and there mayn't be
any more than his personal opinion in 'em. Never mind, too, what
Chilverton wants with Van Koon. Nor if there's any connection between Van
Koon and Miss Slade, or Mrs. Marlow. The thing to do is to find--her!"

"You think she's hooked it?" said Allerdyke.

"I should say that something said by some of you at that talk this
morning in Fullaway's room has startled her into action," answered
Appleyard. "Now let's get at facts. You say she sent that wire from the
East Strand post Office within ten minutes of your leaving her? Very
well--I should say she was on her way to Arundel Street to see Rayner,
alias Ramsay. I wish we'd had a constant watch kept on him. But we'll
soon repair that if you've sent for young Gaffney."

The two Gaffneys arrived at that moment and Appleyard, after some further
talk, assigned them their duties. Gaffney, the chauffeur, was to go at
once and get himself a room at an inn in close proximity to the Pompadour
Hotel, so that he would be at Appleyard's disposal at any hour of the
coming evening and night. Albert Gaffney, the clerk, was to devote
himself to watching Rayner. He was to follow Rayner wherever Rayner went
from the time of his leaving Clytemnestra House that afternoon--even if
Rayner should leave town by motor or by train he was to follow. For, as
Appleyard sagely observed, it was not likely that Mrs. Marlow, alias Miss
Slade, would return to the Pompadour Hotel that night if her fears had
been aroused by what ha