“And whose fault is that?” Inman almost hissed. “Whose fault is it that it wasn’t banked yesterday? Didn’t I warn you? Didn’t Jones? But you were master and I was man, and there was that cursed bottle of rum to finish! It serves me right for being fool enough to lend my money to a drunken sot like you. I might as well have dropped three hundred pounds down the drain, for your miserable bits o’ scrap metal’ll never fetch two hundred!”
“Who’s ta’en it, I can’t think,” the other soliloquised wearily with his eyes on Inman; “but every penny’s gone!”
Inman turned away with an impatient exclamation, and seeing the detective, growled an apology for his outburst.
The man with the keen, kindly eyes was looking on him with what appeared to be mild curiosity.
“I should like a few words with you in the office,” he said, and the three men left the house.
“Yon man hasn’t much to learn from you and me, Harker,” said the inspector, as the two officials motored back to headquarters a couple of hours later. “The way he pumped those two women would have done credit to a K.C.; and as for the old man—there won’t be much blood left in him, I fancy, when that chap’s finished squeezing.”
“It strikes me _we’ve_ a deal to learn from this manager, or what he calls himself,” said Mr. Harker dryly. He had made very few remarks so far, though he had asked many questions.
“He’s evidently inclined to suspect this young fellow with the peculiar handle to his name,” continued the inspector.
“Or, anyhow, very anxious that other people should suspect him!” From Mr. Harker’s caustic tone it was easy to infer that Inman’s zeal had left no favourable impression. “But he’s wasting his powder and shot. The two men aren’t on good terms. Inman married this Jagger Drake’s sweetheart, and it hasn’t turned out a love match, I understand. Since then Jagger has thrashed our friend, and he’s still sore about it. There’s more life in a hole like this than most folk think, Martin. All the same, Jagger Drake hasn’t helped himself to this swag!”
It was evident that Detective Harker had been making good use of his opportunities.
“Not a workable one, so far. To be quite frank, I could think the business had been cooked, but I can’t at present see why or how. If I’m right there’s only one man who can throw light on the subject, and he won’t.”