man in charge of the lift went straight on upstairs to his room. He found it to be in darkness and switched on the green-shaded lamp which was suspended above the t

hairs, alone broke the expanse of highly polished floor. Dunbar glanced at the table and then stood undecided in the middle of the bare

immediately and stood wai

nt Sowerby leave

ree hours

! But I have been here myself within t

y left before th

again. He spoke to me on the telephon

om here

shouted Dunbar fiercely; "an

ir. Shall I m

nute. Is the Co

e so. At least I ha

y and tell him to wai

nb

led with tables, cupboards, desks, bureaux, files, telephones, bookshelves and stacks of documents that one only discovered the Assistant Commissioner sunk deep in a padded armchair and a cloud of tobacco smoke by dint of close scrutiny. The Assistant Commissioner was small, sallow and satanic. His black moustac

arette. "I was detained here unusually late to-night or this news would not have reached us till the morn

hat is what brought

ommissioner gla

ou back to the

ws abou

air. "Might I ask, Inspector," he said, "what ne

red uncomp

f an hour ago, sir. Did he do

ly. What was

ent, "that the body brought in by the River Police l

handed a pencilled slip to

Scorpion, Narcombe. N

Identity-dis

ar-"this is exactly w

ffair. Because, you see, Inspector, I only finished decoding

ut

u know as well as I know that there is no possibility of leakage. No one has entered my room in the interval,

with the pencil. His amazem

ingless hoax, but the message having been what it was, we find ourselves face to face with no ordinary problem.

ly easy to imitate?

l problems; viz., first, the sender of

und and the Assistant Commi

wishes to speak to hi

with my

d again

unicate, Inspector. It was at the house of Dr. Stuart,

was-

Dr. Stuart the br

a scorpio

a fresh cigarette. "And is Dr. Stuart agreeable to placing his u

is,

g sound wa

r. Stuart," said the

taking up the receiv

r spe

the wires. Then: "You want me to come around now, docto

wn the in

for particulars. It sounds as though the 'phone message might have been intended to get me away." He stared down at the pencilled slip which the

ll means,

n took up t

he said, and sto

this is Inspector Dunbar. You called me up here at the Yard a few moments ag

k 'phone messages in that way until you have run your mimic to earth, Inspector. I do

immer of a notion who it was. I'll be saying good-night, sir.

t of Sowerby, but it merely confirmed the fact that Sowerby had left Scotland Yard over