“I shall!” assented Mitchington. “I'll have both of 'em shadowed wherever they go or are, day or night. Harker, now, has always been a bit of a mystery, but Bryce--hang me if I don't believe he's been having me! Double game!--but, never mind. There's no more, doctor?” “Not yet,” replied Ransford. “And I don't know the real meaning or value of what I have told you. But--in two days from now, I can tell you more. In the meantime--remember your promise!” He let his visitors out then, and went back to Mary. “You'll not have to wait long for things to clear,” he said. “The mystery's nearly over!” CHAPTER XVIII. SURPRISE Mitchington and the man from New Scotland Yard walked away in silence from Ransford's house and kept the silence up until they were in the middle of the Close and accordingly in solitude. Then Mitchington turned to his companion. “What d'ye think of that?” he asked, with a half laugh. “Different complexion it puts on things, eh?” “I think just what I said before--in there,” replied the detective. “That man knows more than he's told, even now!” “Why hasn't he spoken sooner, then?” demanded Mitchington. “He's had two good chances--at the inquests.” “From what I saw of him, just now,” said Jettison, “I should say he's the sort of man who can keep his own counsel till he considers the right time has come for speaking. Not the sort of man who'll care twopence whatever's said about him, you understand? I should say he's known a good lot all along, and is just keeping it back till he can put a finishing touch to it. Two days, didn't he say? Aye, well, a lot can happen in two days!” “But about your theory?” questioned Mitchington. “What do you think of it now--in relation to what we've just heard?” “I'll tell you what I can see,” answered Jettison. “I can see how one bit of this puzzle fits into another--in view of what Ransford has just told us. Of course, one's got to do a good deal of supposing it's unavoidable in these cases. Now supposing Braden let this man Harker into the secret of the hidden jewels that night, and supposing that Harker and Bryce are in collusion--as they evidently are, from what that boy told us--and supposing they between them, together or separately, had to do with Braden's death, and supposing that man Collishaw saw some thing that would incriminate one or both--eh?” “Well?” asked Mitchington. “Bryce is a medical man,” observed Jettison. “It would be an easy thing for a medical man to get rid of Collishaw as he undoubtedly was got rid of. Do you see my point?” “Aye--and I can see that Bryce is a clever hand at throwing dust in anybody's eyes!” muttered Mitchington. “I've had some dealings with him over this affair and I'm beginning to think--only now!--that he's been having me for the mug! He's evidently a deep 'un--and so's the other man.” “I wanted to ask you that,” said Jettison. “Now, exactly who are these two?--tell me about them--both.”