“To be brief as time!” he said, drawing a card from his pocket. “To be brief,” he whispered, replacing the card, “I want to know just why you took a taxi at or about six o’clock last night, went down to the Southampton Dock and waited for a passenger who wore a Silver Greyhound--indicating that he was on British Government business, urgent and pressing.” The girl’s broad forehead whitened slightly. She recrossed her trim ankles. She tapped the desk before her with polished nails. She reached and adjusted a hairpin in her reddish knot, which added beauty to a resolute, somewhat bold face. “I don’t know what business that is of yours!” she said. Fay frowned. “It’s the people’s business! It’s Charles Mott’s business. Are you going to help me?” “I never talk to strangers. You may be Mr. Mott’s representative. You may be connected with the Gray Brotherhood. How do I know?” “You know what happened to your fare last night?” The girl swung in the chair and glanced at Rake. Her eyes opened to brown pools of protest. She brought both feet down on the rug and rose with her hand on the back of the chair. “You both better go.” “Just a minute. You know Putney Stephney?” “Perhaps I do.” “You know what happened to him?” “No!” “Do you want to know?” “See here!” The girl’s voice indicated reserve strength. “See here! This is my office. We--I, am obeying the law. Our business is of such a nature that we do not talk to strangers. To tell you frankly, I detest people who ask too many questions.” Fay took the thrust with good humor. “They’re not all the same,” he said, moving closer to the girl and regarding her with admiration. “Now you, for instance, know full well that I didn’t come here without being pretty sure of my ground. You’ll have to answer my questions, or you will be called to account for a number of nasty accusations. Mr. Mott is your friend--he also is my friend!” The girl turned helplessly toward the closed door. She tapped her foot on the rug. She bent her head. “How came you to know Putney Stephney?” Fay asked, feeling his way for a surprise. “I met him two years ago. He was just a good friend of mine. I can’t see your purpose in questioning me concerning him.” Fay watched her lips tremble. He had conceived a liking for Elsie De Groot over the period of minutes. He said through his white teeth: “Putney Stephney was murdered last night!” * * * * * The girl swayed. She reached blindly for the arms of the chair. “Murdered by an unknown method!” A gasping sob racked the air. The beat of a powerful engine throbbed the garage. It was like the roll of a muffled drum. “Foully murdered! Done to death between the steamship dock and Poughkeepsie, where he was found with skull crushed and his lungs empty of air. He was last seen getting into your taxicab!” “Oh, don’t! It isn’t true!”