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Rh "If Edith's pearls are turned in at headquarters the chief will be just as much surprised as I and hand them over without a word. He's not the man to do things by halves. But if the thief has held back the pearls the chances are that that's the last we'll ever see of them. The string would be so broken up as to make it almost impossible to trace. Anyway, considering what you have done in getting me off, the police would hardly take up the case. Your friend the prefect would shrug his shoulders and ask what the deuce you expected."

John's face cleared a little. His solicitude for my personal safety rather touched me.

"I'll leave it all to you, Frank," he said, "but mind you, you're not to run any physical danger. It's not worth it, and Edith would be heart-broken if you were to come to any harm. So would I. Now I'll be off. Good luck to you, and don't do anything rash. You can't tell, maybe it's some entirely outside person."

He got up, and, giving me a nod, went out. But I didn't like the way his eyes avoided mine, and I wondered if perhaps, deep down, he might not be less sure of me than he was willing to show.

When he had gone I sat for a few minutes thinking hard. Then I opened the drawer of my desk, took out an automatic pistol that I kept there, loaded it and slipped it into the side pocket of my coat.

"Look after the office while I am gone," I said to Gustave, my little mécanicien, and went out and hopped into a taxi giving Ivan's address. Ivan was at home, and as I was shown into his bureau he looked up sharply. I didn't waste any