“What did you do?” she burst out scornfully. “You went to three or four of the big, obvious places. That’s not where I’d park my car if I were trying to get away on the quiet. You wait, Uncle Fayre. If he went there at all, I’ll run him to earth, you’ll see!” “And what do you propose to do? You can’t go sleuthing about Carlisle all by yourself. They must know you pretty well there and we don’t want this affair talked about.” “I’m not going by myself. I’m going with Tubby Campbell.” “Tubby Campbell?” murmured Fayre helplessly. “If you weren’t just a measly bicyclist you’d know his name at Brooklands,” she scoffed. “He married the clergyman’s daughter at Galston and they’ve settled at Carlisle. I’ve always promised I’d stay with them. I’ll ring them up and go over for a few days and see what Tubby can do. If anybody will know how to set about it, he will. It’s a gorgeous idea, Uncle Fayre; you must admit it!” “You’ll probably do the thing much more efficiently than I did, I admit that. But don’t let your enthusiasm run away with you. Don’t forget that it is probably a very forlorn hope!” “If you think that, really, it means that you’ve got something else up your sleeve,” was Cynthia’s shrewd and unexpected comment. “What is it? Is it Dr. Gregg?” Fayre was taken unawares. “I have got an idea,” he said slowly. “But it’s so vague at present that I tell you frankly I’m going to keep it to myself. If it comes to anything, you shall be the first to know, but, so far, it’s only fair to say that I’ve come up against a blank wall. I think your field of investigation is likely to prove quite as fruitful as mine.” For a moment she looked disappointed. Then: “All right,” she agreed. “You get to work at your end and I’ll see what I can do at mine. If you only knew the relief it is to do something instead of sitting watching other people!” The cry came so straight from her heart that Fayre was glad he had not succeeded better in his efforts to discourage her. At least the search would keep her employed during a very anxious period and he felt, too, that he could tackle Sybil and her questions better without Cynthia. He had been dreading the time when the two would get their heads together over Dr. Gregg and begin putting two and two together in earnest. Cynthia, he knew, already suspected that there was something behind his own visit to Carlisle. He would be able to pursue his investigations more freely in her absence. Chapter XIII Having at last found something definite to do Cynthia proved herself a very able organizer. By lunch-time the next day she had extracted an invitation from the Campbells, squared Lady Staveley and packed her trunk. Directly the meal was over she started for Carlisle, brimming with enthusiasm for the task she had set herself.