s time of night.
He's probably got a room nearby."

At that point, a blue ElectroFord pulled up in front of us. Stevie
stuck his head out and said: "Your office said you'd be around here
somewhere. Remember me, Dad?"

I covered my eyes with one hand in mock horror. "My God, the fifty!"
Then I dropped the hand toward my billfold. "I'm sorry, son; I got
wrapped up in this thing and completely forgot." That made two
apologies in two minutes, and I began to have the uneasy feeling that
I had suddenly become a vaguely repellant mass of thumbs and left
feet.

I handed him the fifty, and, at the same time, said: "Son, I want you
to meet His Grace, Chief Inspector the Duke of Acrington. Your Grace,
this is my son, Steven Royall."

As they shook hands, Steve said: "It's a pleasure to meet Your Grace.
I read about the job you did in the Camberwell poisoning case. That
business of winding the watch was wonderful."

"I'm flattered, Mr. Royall," said the Duke, "but I must admit that I
got a great deal more credit in that case than was actually due me.
Establishing the time element by winding the watch was suggested to me
by another man, who wouldn't allow his name to be mentioned in the
press."

I reminded myself to read up on the Duke's cases. Evidently he was
better known than I had realized. Sometimes a man gets too wrapped up
in his own work.

"I'm sorry," Stevie said, "but I've got to get going. I hope to see
you again, Your Grace. So long, Dad--and thanks."

"So long, son," I said. "Take it easy."

His car moved off down the street, gathering speed.

"Fine boy you have there," the Duke said.

"Thanks. Shall we go on with our pub crawling?"

"Let's."

* * * * *

By two o'clock in the morning, we had heard nothing, found nothing.
The Duke looked tired, and I knew that I was.

"A few hours sleep wouldn't hurt either one of us," I told His Grace.
"It's a cinch that Nestor won't be able to find any little girls at
this hour of the morning, and I have a feeling that he probably bought
himself a bottle and took it up to his room with him."

"You're probably right," the Duke said wearily.

"Look," I said, "there's no point in your going all the way down to
your hotel. My place is just across town, I have plenty of room, it
will be no trouble to put you up, and we'll be ready to go in the
morning. O.K.?"

He grinned. "Worded that way, the invitation is far too forceful to
resist.