Page:The Mystery of a Hansom Cab.djvu/237

Rh "Why shouldn't he, sir?" said Kilsip, quickly. "He does not know anything about this," laying his hand on the confession, "and as the cheque is genuine enough, he won't let five thousand pounds go without a struggle."

"I'll tell you what," observed Calton, after a few moments of reflection, "I'll go across the way and telephone to Thinton & Tarbet, and when he calls on them they can send him up to me."

"A very good idea," said Kilsip, rubbing his hands, "and then I can arrest him."

"But the warrant?" interposed Brian, as Calton arose and put on his hat.

"Is here," said the detective, producing it.

"By Jove, you must have been pretty certain of his guilt," remarked Chinston, dryly.

"Of course I was," retorted Kilsip, in a satisfied tone of voice. "When I told the magistrate where I found the coat, and reminded him of Moreland's acknowledgment at the trial, that he had it in his possession before the murder, I soon got him to see the necessity of having Moreland arrested."

"Half-past four," said Calton, pausing for a moment at the door and looking at his watch. I'm afraid its rather late to catch Moreland to-day; however, I'll see what Thinton & Tarbet know," and he went out.

The rest sat waiting his return, and chatted about the curious end of the hansom cab mystery, when, in about ten minutes, Calton rushed in hurriedly and closed the door after him quickly.

"Fate is playing into our hands," he said, as soon as he recovered his breath. "Moreland called on Thinton & Tarbet, as Kilsip surmised, and as neither of them were in, said he would call again before five o'clock. I told the clerk to bring him up at once, so he may be here at any moment."

"That is, if he's fool enough to come," said Chinston.

"Oh, he'll come," said the detective, confidently, rattling a pair of handcuffs together. "He is so satisfied that he has made things safe that he'll walk right into the trap."

It was getting a little dusk, and the four men were greatly excited, though they concealed it under an assumed nonchalance.