‘No,’ answered the clerk as he fetched a time table and rapidly turned over the leaves. ‘The 7.32 gets to Salisbury at 10.52, and there’s a train on to Southampton Town at 11.00. It doesn’t go to the Harbour. But the connection at Eastleigh is bad, and you don’t get to Southampton till 12.30. The Havre boat leaves at 11.30.’ ‘And what time do you get to Eastleigh?’ ‘11.37.’ ‘And from there to Southampton is how far?’ ‘About seven miles to the docks.’ ‘So that if he had taken a motor at Eastleigh he could have been there by midnight?’ ‘Yes, I should say about that.’ Tanner looked at his watch. It was five minutes to twelve. In from five to thirty-five minutes Douglas would probably reach Southampton. Would there be time to intercept him there? Hastily thanking the clerk, the two men jumped once more into their taxi and drove to the police station. There the Inspector hurried to the telephone to call up the Southampton police. But there was a delay in getting through. For thirty minutes he fumed and fretted. Then at half-past twelve he got his connection. ‘I’m afraid the train will be in,’ replied the distant voice, ‘but if it’s late we’ll get your man if he’s on it. If we miss him there, we’ll go on to the Docks. There’s a Union Castle liner due out at five o’clock. He may be going for that. What about the warrant?’ ‘Hold on a minute,’ said Tanner, then turning to the sergeant, he spoke rapidly: ‘A liner leaves Southampton at five for South Africa. Can I get there with a good car? There are no trains, of course?’ ‘None, sir. It’s about a hundred miles and you should do thirty miles an hour—say three and a half hours. If you left here at 1.00, you should be there by 4.30.’ ‘I’ll do that.’ Then turning back to the telephone: ‘I’m leaving here now by road for Southampton. You may expect me at the Union Castle berth about 4.30. I’ll have the warrant.’ The taxi-driver they had been employing being unfamiliar with the surrounding country, they drove to the nearest garage and after some difficulty succeeded in knocking up a sleepy manager and hiring a powerful car and a man who knew the road, at least as far as Salisbury. But there were delays in getting away, and though the manager did his best, it was nearly half-past one when the big vehicle swung out of Exeter, eastward bound. The night was fine but dark. As they purred swiftly along the smooth road, Tanner lay back on the comfortable cushions and let the cool air blow in on his heated forehead, while he took stock of the position.