Inspector French’s Greatest Case By FREEMAN WILLS CROFTS AUTHOR OF “The Cheyne Mystery,” etc. [Illustration] A. L. BURT COMPANY Publishers New York Published by arrangement with Albert and Charles Boni Printed in U. S. A. Copyright, 1925, by THOMAS SELTZER, INC. _All rights reserved_ PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA CONTENTS CHAP. PAGE I. MURDER! 1 II. THE FIRM OF DUKE AND PEABODY 17 III. GATHERING THE THREADS 29 IV. MISSING 45 V. FRENCH TAKES A JOURNEY 62 VI. THE HOTEL IN BARCELONA 77 VII. CONCERNING A WEDDING 96 VIII. SYLVIA AND HARRINGTON 109 IX. MRS. ROOT OF PITTSBURG 122 X. SOME PAIRS OF BLANKETS 138 XI. A DEAL IN JEWELLERY 153 XII. THE ELUSIVE MRS. X. 167 XIII. MRS. FRENCH TAKES A NOTION 183 XIV. TRAGEDY 197 XV. THE HOUSE IN ST. JOHN’S WOOD 209 XVI. A HOT SCENT 226 XVII. A DEAL IN STOCKS 242 XVIII. THE S.S. “ENOCH” 258 XIX. FRENCH PROPOUNDS A RIDDLE 274 XX. CONCLUSION 290 CHAPTER I MURDER! THE back streets surrounding Hatton Garden, in the City of London, do not form at the best of times a cheerful or inspiring prospect. Narrow and mean, and flanked with ugly, sordid-looking buildings grimy from exposure to the smoke and fogs of the town and drab from the want of fresh paint, they can hardly fail to strike discouragement into the heart of any one eager for the uplift of our twentieth century civilisation.