I said nothing. What could I say? The fact that he had been busy struck me as an extremely silly excuse. But the inference that my escape from the toils of the law was imminent set my heart to thumping. “I fear you can never forgive me for throwing you over as I did yesterday,” he went on. “I can only say that it was absolutely necessary--as you shall shortly understand.” I thawed a bit. After all, there was an unmistakable sincerity in his voice and manner. “We are waiting for Inspector Bray,” continued the colonel. “I take it you wish to see this thing through?” “To the end,” I answered. “Naturally. The inspector was called away yesterday immediately after our interview with him. He had business on the Continent, I understand. But fortunately I managed to reach him at Dover and he has come back to London. I wanted him, you see, because I have found the murderer of Captain Fraser-Freer.” I thrilled to hear that, for from my point of view it was certainly a consummation devoutly to be wished. The colonel did not speak again. In a few minutes the door opened and Bray came in. His clothes looked as though he had slept in them; his little eyes were bloodshot. But in those eyes there was a fire I shall never forget. Hughes bowed. “Good afternoon, Inspector,” he said. “I’m really sorry I had to interrupt you as I did; but I most awfully wanted you to know that you owe me a Homburg hat.” He went closer to the detective. “You see, I have won that wager. I have found the man who murdered Captain Fraser-Freer.” Curiously enough, Bray said nothing. He sat down at his desk and idly glanced through the pile of mail that lay upon it. Finally he looked up and said in a weary tone: “You’re very clever, I’m sure, Colonel Hughes.” “Oh--I wouldn’t say that,” replied Hughes. “Luck was with me--from the first. I am really very glad to have been of service in the matter, for I am convinced that if I had not taken part in the search it would have gone hard with some innocent man.” Bray’s big pudgy hands still played idly with the mail on his desk. Hughes went on: “Perhaps, as a clever detective, you will be interested in the series of events which enabled me to win that Homburg hat? You have heard, no doubt, that the man I have caught is Von der Herts--ten years ago the best secret-service man in the employ of the Berlin government, but for the past few years mysteriously missing from our line of vision. We’ve been wondering about him--at the War Office.” The colonel dropped into a chair, facing Bray. “You know Von der Herts, of course?” he remarked casually. “Of course,” said Bray, still in that dead tired voice. “He is the head of that crowd in England,” went on Hughes. “Rather a feather in my cap to get him--but I mustn’t boast. Poor Fraser-Freer would have got him if I hadn’t--only Von der Herts had the luck to get the captain first.” Bray raised his eyes. “You said you were going to tell me--” he began.