said the superintendent when Green had finished
taking a note of the various points. "Pick out some good men, though I
don't suppose they will have much to do. It's only a measure of
precaution. You'd better be on hand yourself about half-past seven. If
all goes well we shall get bigger game than Ike."

CHAPTER XXVI

Within the invisible cordon that Foyle had drawn about Grell's house in
Grosvenor Gardens, Dutch Fred loitered, his keen, ferret eyes wandering
alertly over passers-by. Misgivings had assailed him during a vigil that
had lasted several hours. It was all very well to be "in with" the
police; but suppose their plans miscarried? Suppose Red Ike and his
unknown friends got to know that the "double cross" was being put on
them? Fred fingered a heavy knuckle-duster in his pocket nervously. Man
to man, he was not afraid of Ike, but there were his friends.

The tall straight figure of Heldon Foyle, with coat collar turned high
up, had passed him once without sign of recognition and vanished in the
enveloping shadow of the slight fog that confused the night. Yet, though
the superintendent had apparently paid no heed, he was entirely alert,
and he had not failed to observe Freddy. What he wanted was to see who
else was in the street. He returned by a detour to an hotel in the
Buckingham Palace Road, outside which a big motor-car was at rest, with
a fairly complete mental picture of three people who might be possible
spies among those he had passed.

The thickening fog was both an advantage and a disadvantage to the
detectives--an advantage because it would force any person watching on
behalf of Grell and his associates to keep within a reasonable distance
of the house if Ike was not to be lost sight of, and a disadvantage
because it would afford increased facilities for any one to slip away.

To Green, seated in the motor-car, Foyle commented on this fact.

"You'll have to have your breakdown rather closer to the house than we
thought," he said. "Give Ike a good chance inside. You've got the
duplicate key all right?"

"That's safe enough," answered Green, tapping his pocket. "If I don't
see you after we've bagged him I'd better charge him with housebreaking,
I suppose?"

"Certainly. Now get along. It's a quarter to eight."

The car moved silently forward and took the corner of Grosvenor Gardens.
Thirty paces beyond the spot where Dutch Freddy was lighting a cigarette
it came to a stop, while the ch