"Thank you. Suppose we talk seriously. I said I looked on you as an embarrassment. You seem to think that you are a menace." He shook his head, reprovingly. "I'll tell you. From something Adèle has said you imagine that you can get hold of people who might testify against me. If you had any vision you would understand that I shall see that those people are out of your reach. You'll never get evidence against me that would hang a cat. I hate to see you wasting your time, for, although you may not believe it, I've developed a kind of liking for you. Now here's a little proposition for you to think over. I'm going out of the game--going to settle down and get married. Oh, you may sneer, but I mean it. I've made all the money I want and I'm going to enjoy myself. I might get out of the country and snap my fingers at the lot of you. But I don't want any petty annoyances cropping up. I'll buy you off at your own figure. What do you say?" His tone was that of a business man putting a case to another business man. Labar burst into laughter. "More comic stuff?" The other lit a cigarette, a little awkwardly because of the pistol, of which he retained a wary hold, and viewed the detective through half-closed eyes. "Don't rush yourself. What's the pay of a divisional detective inspector? A few hundreds a year. If you hang on and you're lucky you may be a superintendent and get a bit more. A man with your ability and some capital could go far in some other line. Or you need not work at all if you don't wish. I'll give you fifteen thousand pounds and call it quits." It was a tremendous offer, far beyond any sum that a police officer whatever his position might hope to attain by legitimate means. Labar was astonished at its magnitude. It did not tempt him in the least, but he affected to reflect. He believed that if he agreed Larry would sincerely keep his word and pay the money. As to the crook retiring he was sceptical. That type of man was an organiser of criminal enterprise as much for the love of the thing as for what he could make out of it. No, Larry, whatever he said, would never retire of his own accord. It occurred to Labar that the other could not hold him so lightly as he pretended if he was willing to give such an amount to ensure his inactivity. In any transaction with a crook, Labar, like many detectives, had his own code of ethics. This was a case where stringent honesty would have been foolish. He temporised. "That's a lot of money," he said, slowly, "but where would I be if anything leaked out?" He glanced significantly at Mrs. Gertstein. "I----" began the woman. Larry silenced her with a minatory wave of the hand. "She daren't let anything be known for her own sake. Your commonsense should tell you that." "Perhaps you're right," mused the detective. "But it's too big a risk. You'll have to raise the ante, Larry."