the car. Foyle and Grell sat in the tonneau, and it
was no coincidence that the right hand of the prisoner and the left hand
of the detective were hidden beneath the rug which covered their knees.
For Foyle had handcuffed his man to himself. It was merely a matter of
travelling precaution. The superintendent did not believe that Grell
would attempt to escape, but there was no excuse for giving him any
temptation. Anyway, it did no harm.

"You'll charge him with the murder directly you reach town, I suppose?"
whispered Green, standing by the step of the car.

"Murder?" repeated Foyle. "Grell did not commit the murder. I shall
detain him a day before making any charge against him at all. Drive on,
Malley. See you later, Green."

The car whizzed away. Chief Inspector Green stood bare-headed in front
of the house, scratching his head, and with a look of bewilderment on
his face.

CHAPTER XLIX

It is permissible in certain circumstances for the police to detain a
suspect, without making any charge, for a period of not more than
twenty-four hours. Heldon Foyle had taken advantage of this to hold
Grell while he tried to draw further together the tangled threads of the
investigation.

He had changed out of his tweeds and, once more the spick-and-span man
about town, he sat down in his office with an order that he was to be
informed the moment that Sir Hilary Thornton returned. Meanwhile, he
occupied himself with a work of composition. It was necessary to break
gently to the public the fact that Robert Grell was not dead. But it had
to be done in the right way. He could not altogether see what evidence
might have to be offered at the inquest, but he was sure the newspapers
would label it "sensational." He wanted to prepare, at any rate, for the
revelation of the dead man's identity. That there was no possibility of
avoiding, but it could be rendered less startling if it did not come
suddenly. And beyond the public interest in the case Foyle had another
reason for the publication of his effort. He worked steadily and made
three drafts before he had completed his task. Two of them he tore up,
and the third he read over carefully, making one or two alterations.

"When the inquest in reference to the Grosvenor Gardens murder is
resumed it is understood that evidence of a remarkable nature will
be brought forward by the police. Inquiries made by the C.I.D. have
placed it beyond all doubt that the c