innocent, why had she disappeared so completely and in
circumstances so suspicious? And what did Sam Stay know? The man's hatred
of the girl was uncanny. At the mention of her name a veritable fountain
of venom had bubbled up, and Tarling had sensed the abysmal depths of
this man's hate and something of his boundless love for the dead man.

He turned impatiently on the couch and reached out his hand for his tea,
when there came a soft tap at the door and Ling Chu slipped into the
room.

"The Bright Man is here," he said, and in these words announced
Whiteside, who brought into the room something of his alert, fresh
personality which had earned him the pseudonym which Ling Chu had
affixed.

"Well, Mr. Tarling," said the Inspector, taking out a little notebook,
"I'm afraid I haven't done very much in the way of discovering the
movements of Miss Rider, but so far as I can find out by inquiries made
at Charing Cross booking office, several young ladies unattended have
left for the Continent in the past few days."

"You cannot identify any of these with Miss Rider?" asked Tarling in a
tone of disappointment.

The detective shook his head. Despite his apparent unsuccess, he had
evidently made some discovery which pleased him, for there was nothing
gloomy in his admission of failure.

"You have found out something, though?" suggested Tarling quickly, and
Whiteside nodded.

"Yes," he said, "by the greatest of luck I've got hold of a very curious
story. I was chatting with some of the ticket collectors and trying to
discover a man who might have seen the girl--I have a photograph of her
taken in a group of Stores employees, and this I have had enlarged, as it
may be very useful."

Tarling nodded.

"Whilst I was talking with the man on the gate," Whiteside proceeded,
"a travelling ticket inspector came up and he brought rather an
extraordinary story from Ashford. On the night of the murder there was
an accident to the Continental Express."

"I remember seeing something about it," said Tarling, "but my mind has
been occupied by this other matter. What happened?"

"A luggage truck which was standing on the platform fell between two of
the carriages and derailed one of them," explained Whiteside. "The only
passenger who was hurt was a Miss Stevens. Apparently it was a case of
simple concussion, and when the train was brought to a standstill she was
removed to the Cottage Hospital, where she is to-day. Apparently the
d