wered Ivan, squaring his shoulders.
"Now you say that you want to prove Mr. Grell's innocent I have nothing
to hide. For I am certain that he is innocent."

"Tell me one other thing," said the superintendent. "What is the
association between Petrovska and Grell? Why should she have taken part
in this business?"

Ivan spread out his white hands. "That you must find out either from Mr.
Grell or her. I don't know."

Foyle drew out his watch. "All right, Ivan. I'll see you again shortly.
Meanwhile, I'll send some one along to get your statement. I don't think
you'll regret having decided to speak. Good-bye."

CHAPTER LI

Both Sir Hilary Thornton and Chief Inspector Green were waiting for
Heldon Foyle when he returned to his office. The superintendent darted a
question at the chief inspector as he flung off his overcoat.

"Yes, sir," answered Green. "She's at Malchester Row now. There was no
trouble at all. She came up to the Grange at half-past three, in a car,
and asked the maid who answered the door for Mrs. Ellis. The girl showed
her into a sitting-room, acting on my instructions, and I walked in on
her and told her I should detain her. She was angry at first, but in a
moment or two she laughed, and asked if Mr. Grell was taken. That was
all there was to it. I brought her back straight away by train. She
seemed to treat it as a joke, but never a word about the case did she
utter."

"And how did you get on, Foyle?" demanded the Assistant Commissioner.

The superintendent plumped into a chair. "I am sending a man up to get a
statement from Ivan," he said. "There's much to be said for that Russian
if his story is true--and I couldn't see any holes in it."

He related particulars of the interview that had taken place in the
cell. Neither Thornton nor Green spoke till he had finished. The
Assistant Commissioner smoothed his moustache, Green rubbed his head.

"Then Grell admitted the murder to Ivan?" said the latter, turning a
puzzled face to Foyle. "You told me he was not the murderer."

"Nor was he," answered the superintendent. "According to Ivan, there was
no blood on his clothes or on his hands a few minutes after Goldenburg
was killed."

"Well, this beats all," exclaimed Green. "I'm hanged if I understand!"

Foyle lowered his voice to a whisper, and Green's saturnine face became
a study as he listened. He gave a little gasp. "It lies between the
three of them," said Foyle. "I am inclined to believe