"As certain as mortal man can be of aught there is!" answered the informant. "Sure certain, mister." "Make a note of it, constable," said Stafford. "Mr. Oliver was last seen going up the path to the Keep, having said he meant to call on Mr. Marston Greyle. I'll call on you again tomorrow morning. Copplestone!" he went on, drawing his companion away, "I'm off to Norcaster--I shall see the police there and get detectives. There's something seriously wrong here--and by heaven, we've got to get to the bottom of it! Now, look here--will you stay here for the night, so as to be on the spot? I'll come back first thing in the morning and bring your luggage--I can't come sooner, for there are heaps of business matters to deal with. You will--good! Now I can just catch a train. Copplestone!--keep your eyes and ears open. It's my firm belief--I don't know why--that there's been foul play. Foul play!" Stafford hurried away up hill to the station, and Copplestone, after waiting a minute or two, turned along the quay on the north of the bay--following Audrey Greyle, who was in front, alone. CHAPTER IV THE ESTATE AGENT Copplestone had kept a sharp watch on Marston Greyle and his cousin when they walked off, and he had seen that they had parted at a point a little farther along the shore road--the man turning up into the wood, the girl going forward along the quay which led to the other half of the village. He quickened his pace and followed her, catching her up as she came to a path which led towards the old church. At the sound of his hurrying steps she turned and faced him, and he saw in the light of a cottage lamp that she still looked troubled and perplexed. "Forgive me for running after you," said Copplestone as he went up to her. "I just wanted to say that I'm sorry about--about that little scene down there, you know. Your cousin misunderstood Mr. Stafford--what Stafford meant was that--" "I saw what Mr. Stafford meant," she broke in quickly. "I'm sorry my cousin didn't see it. It was--obvious." "All the same, Stafford put it rather--shall we say, brusquely," remarked Copplestone. "Of course, he's terribly upset about Oliver's disappearance, and he didn't consider the effect of his words. And it was rather a surprise to hear that Oliver had known some man of your cousin's name over there in America, wasn't it?" "And that Mr. Oliver should mysteriously disappear just after making such an announcement," said Audrey. "That certainly seems very surprising." The two looked at each other, a question in the eyes of each, and Copplestone knew that the trouble in the girl's eyes arose from inability to understand what was already a suspicious circumstance.