window. Willis moved round behind the
house, and once again producing his bent wire, in a few moments had the
back door open. Slipping inside, he passed through the damp-smelling
rooms and up the decaying staircase until he reached the broken window.
From it, as he had hoped, he found he had a good view into the office.

He glanced at his watch. It was ten minutes past seven.

"I'll do it tonight," he murmured, and quietly leaving the house, he
hurried to Ferriby Station and so to Hull.

Some five hours later he left the city again, this time by motor. He
stopped at the end of the lane which ran past the distillery, dismissed
the vehicle, and passed down the lane. He was carrying a light, folding
ladder, a spade, a field telephone, a coil of insulated wire, and some
small tools.

The night was very dark. The crescent moon would not rise for another
couple of hours, and a thick pall of cloud cut off all light from
the stars. A faint wind stirred the branches of the few trees in the
neighborhood and sighed across the wide spaces of open country. The
inspector walked slowly, being barely able to see against the sky the
tops of the hedges which bounded the lane. Except for himself no living
creature seemed to be abroad.

Arrived at his destination, Willis felt his way to the gap in the hedge
which he had used before, passed through, and with infinite care raised
his ladder to the window of Archer's office. He could not see the
window, but he checked the position of the ladder by the measurements
from the hedge. Then he slowly ascended.

He found he had gauged his situation correctly, and he was soon on the
sill of the window, trying with his knife to push back the hasp. This
he presently accomplished, and then, after an effort so great that he
thought he would be beaten, he succeeded in raising the sash. A minute
later he was in the room.

His first care was to pull down the thick blinds of blue holland
with which the windows were fitted. Then tip-toeing to the door, he
noiselessly shot the bolt in the lock.

Having thus provided against surprise, he began his investigation. There
in the top corner of the side window were the wires. They followed
the miter of the window architrave--white-enameled to match--and then,
passing down for a few inches at the outside of the moldings, ran along
the picture rail round the room, concealed in the groove behind it.
Following in the same way the miter of the architrave, they di