Page:Rowland--The closing net.djvu/90

76 the club, had made Chu-Chu's work only too easy. Knowing the ruthless character of the man, the only thing that surprised me was that he had not continued his efforts and gone upstairs to crack the safe, either gagging or strangling Edith, for Chu-Chu was a killer. But no doubt Ivan's instructions had strictly forbidden anything of this sort and Chu-Chu had not dared to disobey.

This was the way I reasoned it out; and whether the details were accurate or not, I had no doubt that the main features were correct. I was firmly convinced that Ivan would never have played me such a trick but for Léontine's influence. There is a professional etiquette observed between thieves of the highest class, just as there is between swell members of other professions; and although it is not always strictly adhered to, there was in this case a strong obligation to me. As to the location of the pearls, I was sure that they were now in Léontine's posses sion, having been first turned over to Ivan by Chu-Chu and then delivered to Léontine by Ivan, that she might dispose of them in England or elsewhere.

I paid off my taxi at the head of the Rue de Passy and walked quickly to Léontine's little house. There was a single light in one of the upper windows. Hardly had I rung the gate-bell when the door opened and a manservant came out and let me in.

"Mile. Petrovski?" I asked.

He gave me a quick glance and I recognised him as the same person who had served us the night of the dinner-party.

"Mademoiselle is expecting monsieur," said he, "if monsieur will take the trouble to enter."