Page:Fletcher - The Mortover Grange Affair.pdf/161

 as he caught sight of the detective he pointed to it with his right.

"Here, what's the meaning of this?" he demanded, without preface. "I came straight here to ask you that! You've seen it, of course. This advertisement about a missing girl—Avice Mortover. What's it mean? How's she connected with my brother's death?"

"Come inside, Mr. Wraypoole," answered Wedgwood. "I'd be glad of a few minutes talk with you. Now," he continued when he had conducted the oil and colour merchant to a private room, "if you'll look again at the advertisement, you'll see that it doesn't say that this girl was connected with your brother's death—murder, I prefer to phrase it. What it does say is that her disappearance—which we think is really abduction—is connected with his murder: believed to be connected, that is."

"Don't see much difference!" said Thomas. "Who is she? What's the connection?"

Wedgwood did not immediately answer that question. He was wondering how far he could take Thomas Wraypoole into his confidence. Suddenly he remembered that Avice Mortover's disappearance and Nottidge's advertisement would remove a good deal of the curtain he had kept drawn.

"Mr. Wraypoole!" he said. "I believe you