Teal was inspecting with interest the playing cards and markers that lay on the table. "What's the game?" he asked inquisitorially, addressing the redoubtable Horring; but that holdup expert was less suave than his confrère. "I'd like to know the meaning of this intrusion," he broke out heatedly. "I don't know what sort of a country you call this, if a few friends can't get together for a round of cribbage without policemen----" Teal cut short his protest with one raised reproving hand. "I shan't argue," he stated mildly. "I suppose _-age_ does enter into it." He could be subtle on occasions, could Mr. Teal. Storm wandered over to the loud-speaking telephone and examined it curiously. Eventually he traced the flex which contacted with the telephone plug, and disconnected it. He looked round for the telephone proper, and, locating it, fetched it over and connected it up. "2 LO seems to have closed down," he remarked. "A pity--I love listening in!" He looked at Morini with a quizzical smile, as though expecting the obvious rejoinder to come from that quarter; but, if this was his hope, he was disappointed. Then he lifted the receiver and waited with it held to his ear. "Exchange? ... I've just been called, and I think we've been cut off. Can you tell me where the ring came from? ... What's that? ... Are you stone-cold certain? ... Well, pass me on to Supervisor ... Supervisor? ... I'm Captain Arden of Criminal Investigation Department. I want you to make absolutely certain whether any call has been put through to this number during the last hour...." There was a longer delay, and then he got his answer. "Thanks very much. Good-bye." He turned his back to the table and lounged against it, his eyes narrowing. "I'm told," he said, "that this number hasn't been called since this morning. Broadcasting with an ordinary telephone is a joke I'm not going to buy!" Their dumbfounded faces were his answer. It was as clear as anything ever has been that they were no more able to account for the facts than he was. Even Morini's composure suffered a jar, and the pucker that appeared between his eyebrows indicated that he was endeavouring to reach an explanation. Storm examined the wall plug, and found two insulated wires running down the wainscot and stretching along the floor in the groove between the ceil and the carpet. They led him halfway round the room and then right-angled round the frame of a door. Trying the handle, Storm found that it was locked. "I'll have the key, please," he requested. "We haven't got it." It was Morini who made the disclaimer. In the absence of any acknowledged leader, he automatically answered for all. "Explain!" Storm rapped back. Morini shrugged.