"Good. I have mine on me. I want two more men. Jack for one. Can you
recommend another?"
"A capital man. Pick him up in five minutes. Sure to be at home. Just
married, and in want of a job. Name, Bob Garlick."
"He's the man for us." I hailed a growler, and Wheeler told the driver
where to go. "I have screwed Maxwell's address out of Madame Lourbet,"
I said, as we rattled along. "You would have laughed if you had heard
us argue--I fairly frightened her. I shouldn't be surprised if he and
Louis, and perhaps Louis' mother, are preparing for flight, and I hope
to catch the lot to-night. There's nothing in the last two that would
warrant us in arresting them, but it is on the cards that I shall
arrest Maxwell for the murder of Morgan, whose real name is Philip
Barlow."
"How do you know he murdered him? Best be sure of your ground,
Godfrey."
"I will make sure. The plan I have in my head will not fail. I never
in my life felt more confident, but everything, of course, depends
upon our coming face to face with the scoundrelly crew. We are going
straight to their house, you, I, Bob Garlick, and Jack, and then we
shall see what we shall see."
What my plan was will presently be made clear. Sufficient now to say
that we found our new recruit at home, and that he took it as a
compliment to be invited to work with me. Jack also joined us. He was
overjoyed to hear that it was not a ghost he had seen in Finchley
Road, but Louis himself in the flesh.
"You've lifted a ton weight off me, guv'nor," he said. "That clears
me, don't it?"
"You will come out of it with flying colors, my lad," I answered,
clapping him on the shoulder.
"But 'ow did it happen?" he asked, in wonder.
"We shall know soon," I said. "Only keep cool."
"Poor Morgan!" he sighed, with genuine feeling. "'E was worth a
'undered of sech stuck-up cads as Louis."
Over a hasty and ample meal, for a full stomach puts courage into a
man, I gave my recruits their instructions, and then the four of us
rattled on to Lethbridge Road. Night had fallen before we reached our
destination. A dark night, too, for which I was not sorry. Directing
the cab where to wait for us, we proceeded to the house.
"How are we to get in?" whispered Wheeler.
I did not answer him, but rang the bell, and gave the double rat-tat
of a messenger from the telegraph office.
CHAPTER XXXIII.
Whenever a summons of this kind is answered quickly it betokens either
that the inmates are in a nervous state or are in dread or expectation
of important news. A peaceful household takes things more calmly, and
is content to let the telegraph messenger cool his heels on the
doorstep. I did not expect this household to be at peace with itself,
nor did I wish it, for such a state of things would have augured ill
for the success of my expedition. I was therefore pleased to hear a
rush of footsteps in the passage, followed by the swift opening of the
street door.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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