terson has engineered the whole scheme and is
quietly laughing up his sleeve at me."

"That's a bold assertion, Mr. Brent," put in Cleek quietly.

"But justified by facts, Mr. Headland. He has twice tried to bribe
Simmons away from me, and last year offered Calcott, my head clerk, a
sum of L5000 to let him have the list of our clients."

"Oho!" said Cleek in two different tones. "One of that sort is he? Not
content with a fortune won by profiteering, he must try and ruin others;
and having failed to get hold of your list of clients, he tries the
bogus theft game, and gambles on that. Hmm! Well, young Barrington may
be only a coincidence after all, Mr. Brent. I shouldn't worry too much
about him if I were you. Suppose you tell Mr. Narkom and myself the
details, right from the beginning, please? When was the murder
discovered and who discovered it?"

Mr. Naylor-Brent leaned back in his chair and sighed heavily, as he
polished his gold glasses.

"For an affair of such tragic importance, Mr. Headland," he said, "it is
singularly lacking in details. There is really nothing more to tell you
than that at 6 o'clock, when I myself retired from the bank to my
private rooms overhead, I left poor Simmons on guard over the safe; at
nine o'clock I was fetched down by the inspector on the beat, who had
left young Wilson with the body. After that--"

Cleek lifted a silencing hand.

"One moment," he said. "Who is young Wilson, Mr. Brent, and why should
he instead of the inspector have been left alone with the body?"

"Wilson is one of the cashiers, Mr. Headland--a nice lad, but of no
particular education. It seems he found the bank's outer door unlatched,
and called up the constable on the beat; as luck would have it the
inspector happened along, and down they went into the vaults together.
But as to why the inspector left young Wilson with the body instead of
sending him up for me--well, frankly I had never given the thing a
thought until now."

"I see. Funny thing this chap Wilson should have made straight for the
vaults though. Did he expect a murder or robbery beforehand? Was he
acquainted with the fact that the notes were there, Mr. Brent?"

"No. He knew nothing whatever about them. No one did--that is no one but
the head clerk, Mr. Calcott, myself and old Simmons. In bank matters you
know the less said about such things the better, and--"

Mr. Narkom nodded.

"Very wise, very wise indeed!" he said, approvingly. "One