“Two,” said Grice.
“Then probably she didn’t go out in an evening gown,” said Rollison, hurrying along the passage with a hand on Grice’s arm, “and she certainly didn’t get a letter from me.”
“She did,” said Grice. “I’ve seen it.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
THE letter, which was soon established as a forgery, said so little that Grice admitted that there was no real reason for thinking that it explained the woman’s disappearance. In fact as they went to Grice’s office, Rollison came to the conclusion that the Superintendent had never been really convinced that he was behind it, but had drawn a bow at a venture.
The letter said that Rollison knew the woman’s identity.
Grice said: “Do you?”
“No,” said Rollison.
“You haven’t sat back and counted chickens this last three weeks, have you?”
“I’ve got no practical results,” said Rollison. “Have you?”
“None at all.” admitted Grice. He sat back, worriedly. “I know no more about her now than I did when she first appeared, but at least one attempt has been made to murder her, and I am afraid of what might happen next. We might find her body. Why were you so interested in the Barrington-Leys?”
“Because she turned up at their house.”
“You know the family well, don’t you?”
“Fairly well.”
“Why did they suddenly leave London?”
“I haven’t a notion.”
“The daughter came to see you on the day you first heard of the affair, didn’t she?”
“Yes.”
“What about?”
“I don’t see why this interests you,” said Rollison, “but she came because she didn’t want her mother to dispense charity on this woman. She thought I might be able to say enough to discredit Lady Lost.”
“That’s pretty thin,” said Grice. He leaned forward. “Rolly,
there are times when personal loyalty has no place in one’s actions. If you are hiding, or trying to hide, anything about the Barrington-Leys, you are making a big mistake.” He paused, then asked tersely: “Is Barrington- Ley in difficulties?”
“Not to my knowledge,” said Rollison.
“Did you know that they’ve recently used Pomeroy, Ward & Pomeroy for most of their audit work?”
“Yes,” said Rollison.
“Then why the devil didn’t you tell me?”
“I thought it was general knowledge to the police if not to the public.”
“I doubt that,” said Grice, still bad tempered, “but I suppose I’ll have to accept your word for it.” He stood up. “Rolly, we’ve worked together a lot and I’ve always given you your head when I could. I hope you won’t let me down this time. You know something more than you admit, don’t you?”
“Nothing that even remotely concerns the police,” said Rollison. “I have told you of the little fat man who was with Marcus Shayle—have you traced him yet?”
“No,” said Grice, sourly, “although I think he
“Find him and Shayle, instead of leathering me,” said Rollison, and rose to go.
He did not like being on strained terms with Grice, and was not sure that he was justified in respecting Gwendoline’s confidence. The rumours about Barrington-Ley’s financial position had not yet reached him, but if they materialized he would have to tell Grice of Gwendoline’s suspicions. On the other hand, Grice might have invented these rumours to try to make him talk.
As Rollison saw the position, there was a possibility that the root cause was a domestic upset in the family.
He went to Gresham Terrace, still troubled but much more alert than he had been for days. Grice might be right in his fears for the lost lady’s life, and he could not get out of his mind the fact that Marcus Shayle had wanted to know what she said while she was unconscious. The contradictory motives puzzled him most.
As he inserted his “key in the lock, the door opened—a sure sign that Jolly did not want it known that he had returned. He entered, without speaking, and Jolly closed the door without a sound. Voices came from the living- room—the first a woman’s voice which startled him.
“Miss Armitage has called, sir,” whispered Jolly, “with her sister.”
“Have they said what they want?” asked Rollison.
“Not freely, sir. They have, however, been quarrelling since they arrived. I have heard an occasional word, and I thought you might like to play upon their differences of opinion.”
