Meanwhile, the other harpies, under the prevailing restlessness and flutter, were on the watch. M'Culloch, with the burden, sallied forth by the Cowgate to find his way to the top of the High School Wynd, where he was to be met by Burke. When half way up that passage, he was joined by Burke and Helen M'Dougal, and before he got to the Square, Hare and his wife were there, so that all the four were thus, and on this occasion of delivery only, drawn together by the double motive of clutching the money, and the apprehensions enveloped in the long-reaching shadow of frowning justice. Nor did they stop there. When the burden had been deposited, and M'Culloch requested to go to Newington, where Dr Knox resided, to get his five shilling fee for his winking toleration, they all set off together, and, though there was some straggling and separating, the women never lost sight of the men. Arrived at Newington, Dr Knox's curator took the principals, along with M'Culloch, into a public-house, the women hanging about outside on the watch, and a part of the price, to the extent of £7, 10s. having been paid and divided, the whole party returned to the city. While all this was going on, the man Gray, having been finally moved to his purpose of informing the authorities of what he had witnessed, and having also seen the removal, had repaired to the Police-office, where, after waiting some time, he saw the officer, John Fisher. To him he detailed what he and his wife had witnessed.[11] The bringing in of the "brisk" little old woman--her good health--the manoeuvre to get him and his wife to sleep at Hare's--so much of the orgie with its dancing and singing as he knew--the disappearance of the stranger in the morning--the discovery of the body under the straw--the blood upon the mouth--the bribe of £10 a-week--the removal of the body. Whereupon Fisher, after despatching his informant before him, repaired to the premises, but he went with no other thought in his mind than that Gray was influenced by spite;--so near again was the conspiracy to an escape from detection. Nor did even what Fisher found and heard tend to awaken him. On getting to the house, he met Burke and M'Dougal, with Gray and another man called Finlay, coming up the stair, and having told Burke that he wanted to speak to them, they all returned to the room. Fisher then began his interrogations. "Where are all your lodgers?" he said, directing himself to Burke. "There is one," replied he, pointing to Gray. "I turned him and his wife out for bad conduct." "But what has become of the little woman who was here yesterday?" he continued. "She's away." "When did she leave?" "About seven o'clock in the _morning_, and Hare will swear he saw her go." "Any more to swear that?" "Oh, a number!" replied Burke, insolently. Whereupon Fisher began to look about the house, and especially the bed, where he saw many marks of blood. "How came these there?" he inquired at Helen M'Dougal.