He awaited the arrival of Mr. Byner next morning with considerable curiosity. And soon after eleven there was shown in to him, a smart, well-dressed, alert-looking young man, who, having introduced himself as Mr. Gerald Byner, immediately plunged into business. "You can tell me something of James Parrawhite, Mr. Eldrick?" he began. "We shall be glad--we've been endeavouring to trace him for some months. It's odd that you didn't see our advertisement before." "I don't look at that sort of advertisement," replied Eldrick. "I believe it was by mere accident that my partner saw yours yesterday afternoon. But now, a question or two first. What are you--inquiry agents?" "Just so, sir--inquiry agents--with a touch of private detective business," answered Mr. Gerald Byner with a smile. "We undertake to find people, to watch people, to recover lost property, and so on. In this case we're acting for Messrs. Vickers, Marshall & Hebbleton, Solicitors, of Cannon Street. They want James Parrawhite badly." "Why?" asked Eldrick. "Because," replied Byner with a dry laugh, "there's about twenty thousand pounds waiting for him, in their hands." Eldrick whistled with astonishment. "Whew!" he said. "Twenty thousand--for Parrawhite! My good sir--if that's so, and if, as you say, you've been advertising----" "Advertising in several papers," interrupted Byner. "Dailies, weeklies, provincials. Never had one reply, till your wire." "Then--Parrawhite must be dead!" said Eldrick. "Or--in gaol, under another name. Twenty thousand pounds--waiting for Parrawhite! If Parrawhite was alive, man, or at liberty, he wouldn't let twenty thousand pence wait five minutes! I know him!" "What can you tell me, Mr. Eldrick?" asked the inquiry agent. Eldrick told all he knew--concealing nothing. And Byner listened silently and eagerly. "There's something strikes me at once," he said. "You say that with him disappeared three or four ten-pound notes of yours. Have you the numbers of those notes?" "I can't say," replied Eldrick, doubtfully. "I haven't, certainly. But--they were paid in to our head-clerk, Pratt, and I think he used to enter such things in a sort of day-ledger. I'll get it." He went into the clerks' office and presently returned with an oblong, marble-backed book which he began to turn over. "This may be what you ask about," he said at last. "Here, under date November 23, are some letters and figures which obviously refer to bank-notes. You can copy them if you like." "Another question, Mr. Eldrick," remarked Byner as he made a note of the entries. "You say some cheque forms were abstracted from a book of yours at the same time. Have you ever heard of any of these cheque forms being made use of?" "Never!" replied Eldrick. "No forgery of your name or anything?" suggested the caller. "No," said Eldrick. "There's been nothing of that sort."