Kennedy said calmly: “Sloan ? I don’t recall the name. Oh—Rayner mentioned it just now.”
“The man who called us said that he was speaking for Sloan. Didn’t you call us?”
“It must have been a mistake. Inspector. I didn’t——”
Mistake? That was Kennedy’s biggest ever! Roger felt warmth pouring through him.
Peel said: “The name of Detective Inspector Sloan was undoubtedly mentioned, sir. Did you call the Yard?”
“No, my chauffeur——”
“I understand that the servants weren’t disturbed.”
Good work. Peel! Keep at it!
“My chauffeur drove me back here. He telephoned——”
“Would he know Mr. Sloan?”
“How the devil do I know?” Kennedy rasped. “He may —he may have mentioned Sloan in order to get you here quickly.”
“We always come quickly, sir. Where is your Chauffeur?”
“He’s not here.” Kennedy licked his lips. The woman in green sat on the arm of the china doll’s chair. Both of them stared at Peel, ignoring Roger.
“So I observe, sir,” said Peel. “That is what puzzles me —why isn’t he here? Why did you send him out?”
“I didn’t send——”
“Then why did he go out?” asked Peel.
Peel had grown into a giant. Roger moved away and sat on the edge of the desk. The two sergeants talked in whispers, but he hardly noticed them, only heard Peel and Kennedy.
Kennedy said: “I have no idea. I didn’t know that he had gone out.”
“You didn’t know that we caught him, either, did you, sir? A patrol car came here immediately on receipt of the alarm, and your chauffeur was met on the doorstep. He had a number of papers with him—papers apparently taken from the safe here. He said that you had instructed him to leave with those papers. He was quite surprised by his detention, and had no time to think up a lie for us— sir. Why did you send your chauffeur out with papers taken from the safe?”
Kennedy didn’t speak.
His wife leaned forward and hid her face in her hands.
“We’ll have to know sooner or later, sir,” said Peel, whose voice kept on the same monotonous level all the time, “Is there something you wish to hide from us?”
Kennedy said: “I think you’re exceeding your duty, Inspector.” He glanced at Roger; and he still held the gun. He raised it slightly. “I have charged these two men with——”
A sergeant, behind Kennedy, came up quietly. Before Kennedy knew what was happening, the sergeant took the gun. He swung round, fist clenched to strike, stopped himself, and glowered at Peel.
“I insist——”
“Just a moment, sir, if you please.” Peel raised his hand —and footsteps sounded outside on the landing; one or two men were coming in. Roger watched, with increasing tension, not yet sure that it was over and that he could live again. Percy came in—thrust by someone whom Roger couldn’t see at first. Percy’s face was as pale as Harry’s and his eyes glittered with fright. He felt Kennedy’s gaze on him, but couldn’t meet his employer’s eyes. He came forward, pushed again—and then Sloan came into the room. Roger cried: “Bill!”
Sloan, one eye closed, coat dirty and torn, grinned across at him. Peel started in astonishment. A sergeant stood impassively by the door, holding the gun he’d taken from Kennedy.
“Hallo, Roger,” said Sloan easily. “I felt pretty sure who you were, earlier to-night.”
Peel choked: “Roger West——”
Kennedy took a step forward. “Yes, the renegade policeman ! The man who forced me to——”
“All statements will be taken down in due course, sir,” said Peel. But his voice was unsteady, he gaped at Roger. “A superintendent is on his way, he will take charge.” He gulped. “It can’t be,” he whispered.
“It is,” said Sloan. “What a present for Janet!” Kennedy’s face had turned a dirty grey.
CHAPTER XXV
IT was nearly three hours later before Roger talked.
Chatworth, who had arrived soon after Sloan, sat with Sloan and Peel in the drawing-room of 27 Mountjoy Square, and listened. A sergeant took the statement down in shorthand. It began unsteadily, almost incoherently, grew steadier as the minutes passed. The picture of those two sombre months gradually filled in, both for Roger and for the others.
Upstairs, men were going through the papers.
