ang up, sir," continued Coates, "at about
three o'clock and said that he would be calling this evening at eight
in accordance with your request."

I looked at the military figure standing bolt upright just within the
doorway.

"Good. Is that all?" I asked.

"That was all the message, sir," he reported.

I walked into the study in a very thoughtful mood, and from the open
window contemplated that prospect of tree-lined road, now for ever to
be associated in my mind with the darkest places in the tragedy in
which I had so strangely become involved.

Gatton, I knew, entertained a theory that the selection of the Red
House for the dreadful purpose for which it had been employed, was not
the result of any mere accident, but was ascribable to the fact that
the place was conveniently situated from the point of view of the
assassin. In short, he had an idea that the London headquarters of the
wanted man, whom we had now definitely invested with the personality
of Dr. Damar Greefe, was somewhere within my immediate neighborhood!

It was a startling conclusion and one which rested, as I thought, upon
somewhat slender premises; but nevertheless I found it disquieting.
And recognizing how the more sinister manifestations of that singular
green-eyed creature (whom I could never think of as a woman, nor
indeed regard as anything quite human) were associated with
darkness--a significantly feline trait--I confess to a certain
apprehension respecting the coming night. This apprehension was
strengthened no doubt by my memories of Gatton's last words as I had
been on the point of setting out from Upper Crossleys.

"With their Friar's Park base destroyed, Mr. Addison," he had said,
"they will be forced to fly to that other abode, at present unknown,
from which I believe they conducted the elaborate assassination of Sir
Marcus. The only alternative is flight from the country, and the
mechanism of the C.I.D. having been put into motion, this we may
regard as almost impossible--especially in view of the marked
personality of Dr. Damar Greefe. Of course," he had added, "they may
have some other residence of which we know nothing but I incline to
the idea that they will make for London."

That the published paragraph relating to Eric Coverly's alleged
evidence was in some way associated with this theory of Gatton's I
knew, but of the soundness of his theory I had yet to learn.

Since (as Isobel had that day informed me) the document