She began one afternoon by driving to Perry Toat's office, for Ralph had written down its whereabouts. Sir Joseph, sullen and angry with his daughter, had gone to his club, and Mrs. Mellop in her bedroom was fretting over the destruction of her hopes. Therefore, there was no one to spy on the girl, and, having dressed herself plainly, she took a taxi-cab in Kensington High Street and drove to the Strand. Perry Toat's office was in Buckingham Street, and the detective herself was disengaged. She admitted Audrey into her private sanctum the moment she read the name on the card. "I thought you would come, Miss Branwin," said Perry Toat, cordially, "as Mr. Shawe told me that you were different from most girls. Few would wish to undertake the search you propose to make." "Few girls, if any, have had a mother murdered in so barbarous a fashion," was Audrey's reply, and she eyed with some disapproval the garish complexion and burnished hair and general renovation of Miss Toat. The detective smiled, guessing the thought of her visitor. "This and this"--she touched her hair and skin--"are a concession to business demands. I had to submit to this sort of thing in order to gain permission to remain for searching purposes at the Pink Shop." "Oh!" Audrey understood. "And did you find out anything?" "I told Mr. Shawe all I had discovered, and what theories I formed on the discoveries," said Miss Toat, glancing at her watch. "He explained to me that he had reported everything to you over a week ago." "Yes," admitted Miss Branwin, "but he did not give me any hope that anything would come of what you have learnt." "I fear not. The clues are so slight, Miss Branwin. By the way"--Perry Toat looked again at her watch--"I can only give you ten minutes or so, as I am expecting another client--Colonel Ilse. Ah! poor man, he comes to me to be helped in finding his stolen daughter." "His stolen daughter?" echoed Audrey. "Yes. His wife died in child-birth some twenty years ago, and the child was stolen by an hospital nurse who attended her. There was some grudge, I believe. But why should I bother you with the troubles of other people when you have so many of your own?" said Miss Toat, in a lively way. "Come, time is short. What do you wish me to tell you?" "What is your opinion of the case as it now stands?" asked Audrey, abruptly. "It's a difficult and mysterious case," said the detective, slowly, "and it is my opinion that Madame Coralie can tell the truth." "Do you think that she is guilty?" "No. That is, if she is guilty, it is because she employed someone else to murder your mother. I don't believe she strangled Lady Branwin herself." "Why not?" "Because Madame Coralie proved an alibi." "Ah!" Audrey nodded. "Then Mr. Shawe did not tell you about my idea as to the clock in the still-room being wrong?" Miss Toat looked at her quickly. "No. What is your idea?"