Mesham and his companion had gone many yards along the street, Brixey and Gaffkin were peering round the corner of their retreat, and at the same moment the two detectives came sauntering back.
But Matsey, who had crossed the road in another direction and turned into a tobacconist's shop for a bare minute, went along on the opposite side, evidently bent on keeping an eye on the pair in front.
"He's after 'em!" whispered. Gaffkin, "Now, who's the blue-spectacled man?"
"Letwige!" exclaimed Brixey. "Semmerby's clerk—from Selchester. But I'd forgotten that you don't know what happened last night. Listen," and he gave his companion a hasty but clear account of the discoveries at Semmerby's office and at the bank, to which the detectives, who had now come up, listened for the second time.
"That's Letwige, without a doubt," concluded Brixey. "He's changed into dark clothes, and put on a pair of blue glasses to hide his infernal squint, but that's he! And now then, you fellows, you've got to fall in with my plans! This is what I want you to do. You must"
"Half a minute! " said Gaffkin. "Here's Matsey coming back."
Matsey came hurrying along the street and turned into the passage in which, the others stood.
"They've gone into the office of the United Steamships Company, just along there," he said. "Both of ’em!"
"Ah!" remarked one of the detectives. "Going to inquire about passages to—where?"
"Listen to me!" continued Brixey. He button-holed the senior detective. "You know enough now," he said, "to arrest these fellows. Take 'em in charge, and bundle 'em off to the nearest police station. That's close by, isn't it? All right, I know it.
"Very well Go and get 'em. Never mind what they say, or protest. In any case, you can make them accompany you to give an account of themselves. Gaffkin, you and Matsey go with them."
"And what about you, Mr. Brixey?" asked the elder detective. "What are you going to do?"
"Follow up a little idea of my own," answered Brixey. "And, on second thoughts. I'll keep Matsey. You can manage without him?"
"We'll take these fellows to the station round there and make them account for their doings," replied the detective. "You’ll come there and identify Letwige and tell what you know?"
"I'll come there before very long and identify Letwige and Mesham, and tell all I know!" assented Brixey. "You go and make sure of them."
He beckoned Matsey to follow him and walked back in the direction of Trinity Square. At the corner he paused.
"Matsey!" he said. "You're a smart chap, I'm sure. I've got a bit of a notion that may turn out a master-stroke. It's got to be carried out in yonder hotel where you stopped last night, and at once. Now, will you do just what I ask?"
"Anything you like, sir," answered Gaffkin's assistant. "I reckon you know what you’re up to, Mr. Brixey."
"I know what I'm up to," said Brixey confidently. "Now, look here. Just you leave me and stroll in front till you see a policeman. Get him to come with you to the front of Wolmark’s Hotel, and get him also to hang about there with you. Whereabouts is the coffee-room?"
"First room on the right when you get in," replied Matsey. "Ground floor."
"Windows looking out on the street?" asked Brixey.
"All of them," said Matsey.
"Keep him strolling in front of those windows—you with him," commanded Brixey. "Tell him there’ll be half a sovereign for him when I come out. Don't tell him too much, but tell him enough to interest him. Now be spry!"
Matsey mowed away up the square, and Brixey followed at twenty yards' distance. But when they came to the hotel Matsey walked onwards, while Brixey turned in at the open door.
He was all alive now for what he thought might turn out a successful venture. He had his own ideas as to why Letwige had gone at that early hour to the shipping office; he also had ideas as to what Letwige had probably left behind him at the hotel. And what he wanted to do he conceived that he could best do unaided. The first thing was to see the register. There it lay, on a sloping desk, by the half window of a little office, just then empty. Brixey stepped straight to it, and had run his eye over the last half-dozen entries before anyone noticed his presence.
The first few entries conveyed nothing to him—the last two did:
Odd, thought Brixey, how people who adopt assumed names on these occasions will stick to the initials of their rightful ones! But without comment he turned to a sleepy-looking damsel who had appeared at the office window and was gazing speculatively at him.