A slipper which Dawkins was toasting before the fire fell off and he stooped to put it right .sx That was the only sign he gave of being impressed by the news .sx " Really !sx " he remarked , as though he had just heard some comment on the weather .sx " How did you get at that ?sx " Once launched , Rance fell headlong into his story , talking with a fierce steadiness , as though defying himself to miss any essential fact .sx Only at long intervals did Dawkins interpolate a question .sx Rance finished at last and handed the pistol he had taken from Silke to Dawkins , who laid it on the floor beside him .sx " That's all , " said the young man .sx " I was late leaving the house , and I was held up by the fog so that I missed you at the Yard .sx I thought it better to come on and see you because if I'd left it over I might have been tempted to say nothing .sx " " I shouldn't worry .sx Perhaps it will work out all right , " said Dawkins , nursing his knee .sx " Still , it looks pretty black against Solly .sx " He frowned at the fire .sx " Did you get his docket ?sx " " I looked in at the Criminal Record Office , " said Rance .sx " There was no one about , and as I couldn't lay my hands on it immediately , I decided not to waste time .sx " Dawkins tapped out his pipe at the grate and glanced at his watch .sx " It's rather late to do anything to-night , " he declared doubtfully , " although I don't altogether like leaving it .sx I have never come into personal touch with Solly , but I know he's a slippery cuss .sx " He crossed to the window and peered out at the gloom .sx " Even if I got a Squad car it wouldn't help much in this fog .sx Might just as well walk .sx " Again taking his chair he refilled his pipe .sx " With twelve hours or so to play with there's no telling what a man like that will be up to .sx " " I can't see what he could do if he wished , " said Rance .sx " He's all broken up tied to his room .sx " " Maybe .sx " Dawkins nodded curtly , and stretched the stem of his pipe towards the other .sx " Maybe he isn't knocked up as badly as you think .sx How came it that someone was waiting to lay you out when you left the house ?sx If you want to fool yourself , don't try to fool me , Jack .sx The thing happened too pat .sx It would have been mighty convenient for him , since you wouldn't fall in with his ideas , to have you silenced .sx When he let himself tell you so much he had at the back of his mind that he could control you by means of the girl .sx That's my way of thinking .sx He saw his mistake too late , chucked a fit to impress you , and then got busy .sx A desperate man who has committed one murder wouldn't hesitate at a second to save himself .sx " Rance shrugged his shoulders gloomily .sx The view came too close to his own to permit of argument .sx He ventured a feeble doubt .sx " If I'd been killed practically at his door it would have been awkward for him .sx " " True .sx But not so awkward as it would be if you got away .sx He would be ready to snatch at any chance .sx " For a few moments Dawkins smoked in meditative silence .sx His eyes wandered over the dejected figure opposite to him .sx " Pretty fond of the girl , are you ?sx " he asked .sx The young man nodded .sx " I can't get her out of my mind .sx She'd do anything for her father crook though she now knows him to be .sx I'd sacrifice everything I hope for in the world if I could show that that man's innocent of murder .sx " " Keep cool , my boy , " advised Dawkins .sx " We haven't proved him guilty yet by a long chalk .sx I've been too long in the detective game to take anything for granted .sx Funny things happen .sx Remember that round-up of crooks in the Enfield murder case ?sx There was a man on ticket-of-leave whose last sentence had been for robbery with violence .sx He deserted his lodgings on the very night of the murder and left behind him some bloodstained clothes .sx We circulated him in the Police Gazette , and finally published his portrait in the newspapers .sx Days afterwards he strolled into the Yard with what we thought was a cock and bull yarn .sx He had run from his room because he couldn't pay his rent .sx At the hour when the murder took place he was at some shoddy night club trying unsuccessfully to raise a loan .sx Since then he had camped out in a park , and had known nothing of the hue and cry till he pickedup a scrap of newspaper that was blown his way .sx The blood he explained by saying he had had an accident to his hand .sx Just the kind of cooked-up yarn one might expect and yet it was absolutely true .sx There was plenty of proof that he really was at the club when the murder was committed miles away .sx As you know , the real murderers were caught and hanged .sx These things against Solly look bad and we're bound to probe into them but it may turn out that they had no connection with the shooting .sx " The details of the story Dawkins had narrated were quite familiar to Rance .sx Nevertheless , in some degree they cheered him , as the other had intended .sx " What are you going to do ?sx " he asked .sx " Get an hour or two's rest .sx If I'd known what you have told me earlier I'd have had observation kept on Solly's place till I could have got down there myself , but if there's any damage from leaving him unwatched for an hour or two it's probably been done .sx I'll go out to this place what do you call it ?sx ah , yes , Langfield with a bunch of the Flying Squad as soon as it is light and have a look at the grounds .sx We'll do that quietly before the household are awake , if we can .sx If the murder was committed there as it might have been we may find some trace .sx In any event I'll afterwards have a word with Solly myself .sx Now you slip off , my boy , and don't worry .sx I'll expect you to be about to meet me in the morning .sx " When Rance had gone Dawkins returned to the fireside , and picking up the pistol from the hearthrug , examined it with care .sx A glance told him the calibre , .sx and he nodded grimly .sx For reasons of his own he had not thought fit to inform Rance that at the post-mortem examination a bullet which had flattened itself against the skull of the murdered man had been recovered a bullet of .sx 38 calibre .sx Here was another damning point against Silke .sx Just a little more and there would be a case against him .sx The trouble was to fit in that case with the other known facts or to discard the others .sx The day's work of many men working under the direction of Dawkins had resulted in the collection of a mass of rough data which directed at least possible suspicion against a number of people .sx All experienced detectives are accustomed to this .sx The real art of the detective is elimination .sx And , in the present stage of the case , Dawkins was unable to eliminate .sx Smiler , undoubtedly , had many enemies ; there were several people who , for one reason or another , would have been glad to see him out of the way .sx There was Old Ugly , for instance a man who in certain circumstances was not likely to hesitate at murder .sx He had lied when he denied knowledge of that threatening letter .sx True , he might have been merely actuated by the caution of an old crook in dealing with a detective and , on the other hand , there might be some stronger reason .sx Who , anyway , was the writer of the letter ?sx Nor had Dawkins forgotten the old detective axiom cherchez la femme .sx Indeed , Smiler had many sweethearts , and it might be that in the past there had been a wife .sx Both of the women whose letters had been found on Smiler had been traced .sx One had laughed when told that he was dead ; the other hadwept .sx Oddly enough , it was a girl on the fringe of the underworld who had broken down .sx The other , a dimpled little tea-room waitress , had announced with nonchalant conviction that she would like to kiss the murderer .sx Both had admitted to frequent quarrels with the dead man on account of his associations with other women , and both gave a rather inconsequent account of their doings on the night of the crime that , even if true , would be difficult of corroboration .sx It was not impossible that one or the other had something to do with the killing .sx Nor could other women with whom Smiler had been on terms still unknown to Dawkins be left out of the reckoning .sx Five or six men known to have had no good will to Smiler had also been interviewed .sx All of them were shy birds , so far as the police were concerned , and only one who had spent the night of the murder in a police cell for a little matter of assault was able to prove immediately a convincing alibi .sx There were another two who had disappeared and were still being sought for .sx Thus a series of snowball enquiries had begun to grow .sx No possibility could be discarded until it had been explored to the end .sx It might be that not until all were finished , not until every potential murderer but one had been eliminated from the case , would it be possible to point to the probable criminal .sx That is , if no direct piece of evidence was picked up in the course of the widespread investigation .sx These things do happen and the ignorant call them luck .sx Dawkins rang through to Scotland Yard , gave a few instructions , and went to bed .sx CHAPTER IX .sx SOLLY VANISHES .sx DAWKINS was astir before dawn , but , although he moved as lightly as a cat , Mrs. Dawkins was instantly awake .sx In spite of his remonstrance she turned out , and had prepared breakfast for him by the time he had bathed and shaved .sx As he swallowed the last mouthful of toast and marmalade a very gentle knock at the front door announced the arrival of one of the fast cars of the Flying Squad .sx He kissed his wife and struggled into an overcoat .sx " Expect me when you see me , dear , " he said .sx Mender and a couple of Squad men were waiting in the car outside a car that looked like a cheap saloon , and gave no hint of the powerful engine that could carry it , if need be , at something over a hundred miles an hour .sx Nor was there any outward sign of the wireless by which it could keep constantly in touch with Scotland Yard .sx " Sorry to drag you boys out at this hour , " remarked Dawkins amiably , as he climbed to his seat .sx " Is everything all right , Mender ?sx " The detective sergeant jerked his head .sx " As far as I know , sir .sx I've brought the search warrant .sx A tender with half a dozen men has gone .sx on .sx " " Let her go , then , " ordered Dawkins .sx " I want to be there by daylight .sx " The Flying Squad driver , a picked and highly-trained man , grinned , and the car leapt smoothly forward .sx It was no uncommon thing for his passengers to be in a hurry .sx They had gone perhaps five miles when the man seated with Dawkins in the back of the car spoke .sx " The Yard calling , sir .sx Burglary job at a furrier's store in Bond Street .sx Green saloon car three men making south over Westminster Bridge Squad patrols to concentrate towards Brixton and Clapham roads .sx " " Plenty of people to attend to that , " commented Dawkins .sx " Our job is to keep on .sx " They had reached the outskirts of Richmond and it was close on dawn , when a policeman jumped hastily into the beam of the headlights with arm outstretched .sx The car drew to a standstill and the constable came forward .sx " You're in the dickens of a hurry , " he said peremptorily .sx " Over fifty , I should think .sx Where are you off to and where have you come from ?sx Let's have a look at your licence .sx "