With a quick turn of his fingers he wrenched off the wire and flung open the window, and at the same moment Nancy herself came hurrying into the room. "Oh, Colin, at last!" she cried. "I was so afraid that something had happened to you." Regardless of Joe, Colin took her into his arms and kissed her two or three times with reassuring fervour. "Nothing has happened to me, Nancy," he said. "I'm afraid I can't say the same with regard to Fenton and Cooper." She looked up at him with a startled expression in her eyes. "Colin!" she exclaimed. "You don't mean----" His arms tightened round her. "I had to let you know," he said gently, "though I hate to spring any more horrors on you. I'm not sure it isn't all for the best. Cooper would certainly have been hanged, and as for Fenton----" "Wot's 'appened, gov'nor?" broke in Joe anxiously. "You ain't goin' to tell me they're both dead?" "They were when I left them," said Colin. "As dead as any one I've ever seen in my life. They ran into a heap of loose stones just this side of Thames Haven and smashed themselves to pieces." "Well, if that ain't the limit!" observed Joe disgustedly. "'Ere' ave I bin waitin' to bash 'ell outer that bloke Cooper----" "Stop, Joe!" commanded Nancy almost angrily. "I won't have you talking like that. It's wicked." The abashed boxer fell back, and with a quick breath she turned again to Colin. "Where's the Inspector?" she asked. "Why hasn't he come with you?" "He's all right," said Colin. "We got someone to send a message through to the Southend police, and he's waiting for them to turn up with a motor ambulance. He suggested that in the meanwhile I should come on here and take you home in the car. He's going to call for Joe and the sergeant on his way back." He paused and glanced inquiringly round the room. "By the way," he added, "where is the sergeant, and what's happened to my pal Jake Hudson?" "Hudson's locked up in the cellar," replied Nancy. "We carried the other poor man into the hall and put him on the sofa. I bandaged up his head as well as I could, but he's still unconscious." "I'll go in and have a look at him," said Colin. "Then I should think we might as well push off. I've all sorts of exciting news for you, Nancy." "If you mean about Mr. Carter being my grandfather," she interrupted calmly, "I know that already." Colin stared at her in amazement. "You know it already?" he repeated. She nodded her head. "Yes," she said, "Joe told me. Of course, there's a lot I don't understand yet, but----" "I didn't mean to do it, guv'nor," protested Joe; "strike me dead if I did. She jest started askin' questions, and afore I knew wot 'ad 'appened, damn me if I 'adn't given away the 'ole show." Colin looked from one to the other of them, and then began to laugh. "I thought I could depend on you, Joe," he said reproachfully.