FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95  
96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   >>   >|  
"We've a long wait," commented Ferret. "Fortunately I know several of the Customs officials very well. I'll get them to let you take shelter in their shed. It's almost opposite the berth where the steamer generally makes fast. You'll be able to watch everyone who goes up the gangway. I'll go on board and speak to the steward. I don't suppose we'll spot friend von Ruhle until the boat train arrives, and by that time perhaps Hawke will have marked his man." Undoubtedly, the wisest course would have been to send other officers to Wellington to arrest Dr. Ramblethorne; but Hawke was out for "kudos". Only a short while ago he had let a wanted man slip through his fingers, and had been rapped over the knuckles for it. With the professional assistance of Ferret, he hoped to carry out a double _coup_ and arrest both German Secret Service agents, thereby recovering his lost prestige. Arriving at Liverpool Street he took his ticket, and spent the time until the departure of the boat train in walking up and down the platform. He had the knack of observing without being observed. He would look at a man in quite a casual way; there was no gleam of intelligence in his eyes as he did so, but little escaped his notice. An hour or two later he could accurately describe his appearance, dress, and mannerisms. A minute before the train started, a man answering von Ruhle's description hurried down the platform. He carried a new cane under his left arm. In his right hand he held an attache case with the initials C. V. Hawke waited until he had entered a carriage, then strolled to the other end of the corridor coaches and took his seat. He knew that the run was supposed to be a non-stop one. The train started. The detective took his time. He waited for nearly twenty minutes before he made his way along the corridor, and entered the smoking-compartment occupied by the suspect. Presently Hawke made a commonplace remark. The stranger replied stiffly and in rather a deep voice, with a slight foreign accent. "An assumed voice," soliloquized the detective; but undaunted by the chilliness of his reception he again made some remark about the weather. Before the train ran through Witham station, conversation was proceeding briskly. Hawke assumed the role of a commercial traveller, and volunteered the information that his brother had just returned from the Front. The stranger showed no hesitation in discussing th
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95  
96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

waited

 

assumed

 

corridor

 
stranger
 
remark
 

detective

 
arrest
 

Ferret

 

platform

 

started


entered
 

carriage

 

initials

 

strolled

 

describe

 
accurately
 

appearance

 

mannerisms

 

escaped

 
notice

minute

 
answering
 

attache

 

hurried

 

description

 

carried

 

Witham

 
station
 

conversation

 

proceeding


Before

 

weather

 

reception

 

chilliness

 

briskly

 

returned

 

showed

 

hesitation

 

traveller

 

commercial


volunteered

 

information

 

brother

 

undaunted

 

soliloquized

 

discussing

 
twenty
 

minutes

 

supposed

 

smoking