t of supper. When he came out the cab had
disappeared.

"I know who done it," he said vehemently, "and if I had him here,
I'd...."

"How do you know?"

"He looked in at the coffee-shop while I was eating my bit of food."

"What did he look like?" asked the station inspector.

"He was a man with a white face," said the victim, "I could pick him out
of a thousand. And what's more, he had a brand-new pair of boots on."

Tarling had strolled away from the officer's desk whilst this
conversation was in progress, but now he returned.

"Did he speak at all?" he asked.

"Yes, sir," said the cabman. "I happened to ask him if he was looking for
anybody, and he said no, and then went on to talk a lot of rubbish about
a man who had been the best friend any poor chap could have had. My seat
happened to be nearest the door, that's how I got into conversation with
him. I thought he was off his nut."

"Yes, yes, go on," said Tarling impatiently. "What happened then?"

"Well, he went out," said the cabman, "and presently I heard a cab being
cranked up. I thought it was one of the other drivers--there were several
cabs outside. The eating-house is a place which cabmen use, and I didn't
take very much notice until I came out and found my cab gone and the old
devil I'd left in charge in a public-house drinking beer with the money
this fellow had given him."

"Sounds like your man, sir," said the inspector, looking at Tarling.

"That's Sam Stay all right," he said, "but it's news to me that he could
drive a taxi."

The inspector nodded.

"Oh, I know Sam Stay all right, sir. We've had him in here two or three
times. He used to be a taxi-driver--didn't you know that?"

Tarling did not know that. He had intended looking up Sam's record that
day, but something had occurred to put the matter out of his mind.

"Well, he can't go far," he said. "You'll circulate the description of
the cab, I suppose? He may be easier to find. He can't hide the cab as
well as he can hide himself, and if he imagines that the possession of a
car is going to help him to escape he's making a mistake."

Tarling was going back to Hertford that night, and had informed Ling Chu
of his intention. He left Cannon Row Police Station, walked across the
road to Scotland Yard, to confer with Whiteside, who had promised to meet
him. He was pursuing independent inquiries and collecting details of
evidence regarding the Hertford crime.

Whiteside was not in whe