He telephoned his fiat, and after a pause, his man answered in his gentleman’s gentleman’s voice :
“This is Mr. Richard Rollison’s residence.”
“Hallo, Jolly,” said Rollison. “Remember me ?”
Jolly’s voice brightened. “Good evening, sir!”
“I gather you’re not alone.”
“No, sir, I’m not,” said Jolly. “There is an American gentleman, a Mr. William Brandt, who “
“Six feet three, coppery-coloured hair, one of my cards and a Texas drawl ?”
“Precisely, sir.”
“Ask him to wait in your room until I call him out,” said Rollison. “I’m bringing Miss Selby and Mr. Morne.”
“Very good——” Jolly began.
“Hi, there!” called William (Tex) Brandt, on an extension, and there was a resounding note in his voice. “How are things moving along, Mr. Rollison?”
“Moderately.”
“Alan Selby still missing?”
“Yes.”
“Okay, I’ll see you,” the American said, and then swept into deep enthusiasm. “Say, Toff, I didn’t know even the beginning of your history or I wouldn’t have been so sneery back at the cottage. I’ve had a fascinating time with your Trophy Wall. Your Mr. Jolly’s told me the story of some of the investigations, too. You must be the only shamus in the business with his own hangman’s rope.”
“But surely you keep an electric chair,” said Rollison, and surprised Brandt into a gasp, and silence. “Still there, Jolly?”
“Yes, sir.”
“There’s an even chance that the enemy will guess where I’m bringing Miss Selby, and they might try to stop her from arriving safely,” Rollison said. “They haven’t followed us on the road, so we’d better be on the safe side. I’ll arrive just as soon as I can. Check back and front and both ends of the street before we appear, will you ?”
“You bet!” boomed Tex.
“You keep out of sight,” warned Rollison. “I don’t want Gillian or Morne to know you’ve arrived.”
“Surprise,” squeaked Tex.
Rollison grinned as he hurried back to the car. M.M.M. was leaning forward and talking, and at last had shed his mood of hostility; in fact there was a shame-faced grin at his lips as Rollison opened the door.
“Roily, I owe you an apology,” he announced.
“There speaks a sporting gent,” said Rollison, and slid behind the wheel. “Why?”
“Behaving like a heel. You’ve dropped everything to help, and you’ve also kept this Texan away from the police, so there should be a way of making him talk. There wouldn’t be, if the police had caught him.”
“No,” agreed Rollison, almost sombrely.
“What do you say it like that for?” asked Gillian.
“Gillian, facts are facts, and it is a fact that Tex the Texan just had time to kill both Lodwin and Charlie. He had the opportunity. He was the last of anyone known to us to see Charlie alive, and he went upstairs at 51, Norton Street, before you did.”
“I can’t believe——”
“We’ll suspend beliefs in everything and everyone until we know what’s behind it all,” said Rollison. “What else were you going to say, Monty?”
“Well, it occurred to us that the swine who are holding Alan might get in touch with me, knowing I’m a close friend of the family. So it might be wiser for me to stay at my flat, and report anything that happens to you. What do you think of it?”
“It could be a good idea,” agreed Rollison. “Shall I drop you?”
“You won’t think I’m backing out?”
“But you won’t be.”
“That’s a safe bet,” said M.M.M. and went on in a clear voice: “Nothing would make me back out of this until it’s over. I want to see Alan free, and I want to see them both free of that damned farm, whether they get five or fifteen thousand for it. In fact it’s just about the most important thing in my life.”
Rollison said : “I follow.”
He drove to Bilton Street, where M.M.M. had a flat on the third floor of a small modern block. He watched each corner and the entrance as he drove up, but did not see anyone waiting. Two policemen were at a nearby comer, and two commissionaires were at the entrance. Rollison got out, and then helped M.M.M. The younger man grunted as he put his weight on his leg and began to limp towards the entrance.
“I’ll be all right now,” he said. “These chaps are used to giving me a hand.” He smiled at the two commissionaires, who had come forward smartly. Then his expression changed and he said tensely : “Look after Gillian, Roily. I can’t tell you how much I love that girl. Alan can look after himself.”
“I’ll look after her,” promised Rollison. He turned to one of the commissionaires. “Pop back and tell Miss Selby
