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 later she came to me and said that she'd had a telegram to say that her mother was very ill and she must be off at once—would I get her a taxi-cab in a quarter of an hour? Then she hurried upstairs. Well, I began to think things—I didn't believe her tale—I felt certain she'd been on the watch for that wire, and that it was from Wraypoole. So I thought I'd keep an eye on her. Now, there's a cab-rank close by the warehouse, and I know some of the taxi drivers on it. I went across and spoke to two of them—gave 'em the office, you know. I arranged with one to come up to the side door in a quarter of an hour to take her; as soon as she'd gone off the other chap was to come up, take me in, and follow the first, see?"

"Good lad!" murmured Wedgwood, who was steadily munching sandwiches and listening with all his ears. "Splendid! Go on!"

"Well, I went back. She came down all ready in ten minutes or so with a small hand-bag. She told me to tell Gregson she didn't know when she'd be back, and he'd have to get somebody else—she'd be obliged to nurse her mother. The first cab came up and she went off, first telling me to tell the man to drive to Liverpool Street—she'd said to me that her mother lived in Essex. The other cab came as soon as hers had gone; I locked up the ware-