"A tough sort of customer. Dressed like a labouring chap. I thought it
was a queer go, but it wasn't none of my business, and ladies take queer
fancies at times. She didn't say nothing to him that I could hear, but
just leaned out of the window and beckoned. He jumped in and off we
went. We stopped at a tailor's shop in Kingston, and the man went in
while the lady stayed in the cab."
"What was the name of the shop?"
"I didn't notice. I could show it to any one, though, if I went there
again."
"Very well. Go on," said Foyle curtly.
"Well, in a matter of a couple of minutes out comes the chap again and
spoke to the lady. She got out and paid me off. He went back into the
shop and she walked away down the street."
"And that's the last you saw of them, I suppose?" asked the
superintendent, with his left hand rubbing vigorously at his chin.
White shook his head. "No, sir. I went away and had a bit of grub before
coming back. As I passed Kingston railway station, I saw the lady
standing by a big motor-car, talking to the man seated at the wheel. I
thought at first it was the chap I had driven down, but I could see it
wasn't when I got a closer look at him. He was better dressed and held
himself straighter."
"Ah! Could you describe him? Did you notice the number of the car?"
The driver scratched his head. "A sort of ordinary-looking man, sir. I
didn't take much stock of him. The car was A 1245--a big brown thing
with an open body."
"Right you are, White," said Foyle with a nod of dismissal. "That will
do for now. You go down and wait in the yard with your cab, and we'll
get some one to go with you to Kingston. And keep your mouth shut about
what you've told us."
When the door closed behind the man, his eyes met those of the chief
detective-inspector. "You'll have to go to Kingston, Green. It's a hot
scent there. You've got the numbers of the notes that Maxwell got from
the bank. Find out if any of them were changed at the tailor's. They've
taken precautions to blind the trail. What I think happened is, that she
telephoned from the General Post Office to some motor-car firm to send a
car from London to Kingston railway station, under the impression that
it would be less risky. He went into the tailor's place to arrange for a
change of clothes, and she dismissed the taxi as a measure of
precaution. It was a piece of luck that the man noticed the motor-car,
but we can't be absolutely certain of the number he gave. He had no
particular reason to remember it. Anyway, I'll send it out to the county
police, and ask them to keep their eyes open. Meanwhile, I'll set some
men to work to see if any of the big garages have sent a car to
Kingston, and get the number verified. If you 'phone me when you get
down there, I'll let you know how things stand."
Green had his hand on the handle of the door, but suddenly something
occurred to him. "Do you think she's gone with him, sir?"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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