“I hear that Brabazon has made a statement to the police,” said Yale, after an interval. “Yes,” said the inspector. “Not a very informative one, but a statement of sorts. He has admitted that for a long time he was changing the money which the Crimson Circle extracted from their victims, though he was unaware of the fact. He also gives particulars of his joining the Circle, after which, of course, he acted as a conscious agent.” “Are you charging him with the murder of Marl?” Inspector Parr shook his head. “We haven’t sufficient evidence for that,” he said, blotted his letter, folded it and enclosed it in an envelope. “What did you discover in France? I have not had an opportunity of talking to you about that,” asked Yale. Parr leant back in his chair, felt for his pipe, and lit it before he answered. “About as much as poor old Froyant discovered,” he said. “In fact, I followed very closely the same line of investigation that he had. It was mostly and mainly about Marl and his iniquities. You know that he was a member of a criminal gang in France, and that he and his companion, Lightman--I think that was the name--were condemned to death. Lightman should have died, but the executioners bungled the job, and he was sent off to Devil’s Island, or Cayenne, or one of those French settlements, where he died.” “He escaped,” said Yale quietly. “The devil he did.” Mr. Parr looked up. “Personally, I wasn’t so interested in Lightman as I was in Marl.” “Do you speak French, Parr?” asked Yale suddenly. “Fluently,” was the reply, and the inspector looked up. “Why do you ask?” “I have no reason, except that I wondered how you pursued your inquiries.” “I speak French--very well,” said Parr, and would have changed the subject. “And Lightman escaped,” said Yale softly. “I wonder where he is now.” “That is a question I have never troubled to ask myself.” There was a note of impatience in the inspector’s voice. “You were not the only person interested in Marl, apparently. I saw a note on your desk from young Beardmore, saying that he had discovered some papers relating to the late Felix. His father had also made inquiries about the man. Of course, James Beardmore would. He was a cautious man.” He was lunching with the Commissioner, Mr. Parr learnt, and was not at all hurt that he was excluded from the invitation. He was very busy in these days, selecting the men who were to form the bodyguard of the Cabinet, and he could well afford to miss engagements which invariably bored him. As it happens, his company would have been a great embarrassment, for Yale had something to communicate to the Commissioner, something which it was not well that Inspector Parr should hear. It was near to the end of the meal that he dropped his bombshell, and it was so effective that the Commissioner fell back in his chair and gasped. “Somebody at police head-quarters,” he said incredulously. “Why, that is impossible, Mr. Yale.” Derrick Yale shook his head.