The voice went off abruptly .sx He called twice , urgency in his tones .sx He waggled the hook up and down .sx There was no tell-tale click .sx The line was as dead as mutton .sx He slid the receiver on to the hook and got up .sx In the same moment the light in the sitting-room went out .sx Now he knew what the voice had meant .sx Isolate him cut the telephone line , cut the lights .sx It had been done .sx Make him talk , the voice had said .sx Would they ?sx It could mean only one thing Nita Ligan the Shanghai Poppy .sx He had fallen for her , and she had double-crossed him before you could say knife .sx Well , he'd got his own back all right .sx But she had spoiled his racket in Shanghai the sweetest little racket a man ever played .sx And that bunch of highbinders of hers had hounded him out of the place , hounded him out of Hong Kong , hounded him out of Saigon , hounded him off the China coast .sx He knew , three weeks ago , that they had come to England ; that same voice he had heard to-night had warned him .sx Who was she ?sx What was she doing , trailing around with that bunch ?sx There had been something vaguely familiar about the accent , something like that of the girl he had pulled out of that nasty rumpus in the Willow Pattern Tea-house in the Bubbling Well Road .sx Bat why was she double-crossing the Shanghai Poppy in warning him ?sx Was it another plant ?sx They weren't going to catch him like a rat in a wire trap .sx Make him talk , and then bump him off maybe .sx He still had a shot or two in the locker .sx He drew the automatic from the side pocket of his coat and stole into the hall .sx He could hear Creed in the kitchen , his voice hoarse and querulous .sx He hissed a warning , and felt along the wall of the hall until he found the door of the tiny cloak-room .sx He got hat and coat and donned them .sx In the kitchen again he bent over Creed .sx " Can you walk ?sx " " I can manage .sx What is it ?sx They jumped me before I could do a thing .sx " " How did they come ?sx " " Off the roof of the kitchen , came down the slope ; must have been up there a long time .sx What's wrong with the lights ?sx " " Cut so is the telephone .sx We've got to get out of here .sx Come on , up with you .sx Don't make a racket with that stump of yours .sx They will be on top of the place any moment now .sx " He drew Creed's arm across his shoulders and got him , awkwardly , into the passage .sx His right arm as swinging free passage .sx had thrust the gun back into his pocket .sx On the left , at the end of the passage opposite the back door , was another door which Dimmock had had cut when he first came to the place .sx It opened into a covered way that led along to the garage .sx This connecting link was , he always figured , the weakest in his chain of defence .sx There were no windows , and the walls were of brick .sx Nevertheless , while he was in it , he was cut off from both house and garage .sx He made the distance as swiftly as he could carry Creed along with him .sx He needed no light .sx He knew every inch of the way .sx He had rehearsed this get-away time and again until he was part perfect .sx At the other end he groped in the blackness until he found the button that released the door there .sx He urged Creed into the garage and slid the door until he heard the spring-lock click .sx The faint sound was final .sx There was no going back now .sx Still supporting Creed he moved ahead cautiously until his outstretched hand came into contact with what he knew was the back of the car .sx He laid his lips close to Creed's ear .sx " Get in and sit tight .sx If they're outside we'll go through them .sx Get your gun ready and use it if they swarm .sx Not so much noise with that stump of yours .sx " He got Creed into the back of the car , and , feeling his way along , climbed into the front .sx He felt about with his foot until it rested on the self-starter ; he slid his bands along the curve of the wheel as if to reassure himself .sx Then he removed his right hand , took out his gun once more , laid it between his hip and the side , and , feeling through the darkness , caught hold of a lever that was fixed to the wall a foot or so away .sx Then he sat tense , waiting .sx The crash must come soon .sx If they were out there why didn't they get on with the job ?sx It didn't matter how many ; they wouldn't come unless they had him properly taped .sx There'd be enough of them to watch every point .sx The Shanghai Poppy must have brought the whole gang with her Costa and Silva , the two half-castes ; those three Chinese that were always hanging about when she used to go to the Capitol in the Szechwan Road .sx That was before she had roped in old Ligan , but , even after that farce of a marriage , they had always been in evidence .sx They didn't count .sx It was Kiley Sam Kiley .sx He was the snake that would strike out of the darkness .sx She and Kiley and their knock-out drops and the killing they had planted on him .sx He began to breathe more quickly at the thought .sx He had been willing to fade away , to keep what he had seized and let them stew .sx But if they wouldn't have it , if that she-devil thought she was going to lift off him what he'd brought away from the bungalow that night , when old Ligan had been bumped off , she had another think coming to her .sx It was just as well it had come to a show-down even if it was in England , where the gun stuff wasn't popular .sx He'd turn hunter and he'd fix Kiley .sx His thoughts broke off as , from outside , a slight sound reached him .sx It was for all the world as if someone had stepped on a twig .sx He could hear the rustle of Creed's movements as he shifted his position .sx He took his hand from the lever and pushed it back , warningly .sx Then his fingers caught the smooth metal again , and he prepared to make the break .sx A long minute passed during which not a sound broke the stillness .sx Then , again , something stirred outside .sx Followed a sudden racket , muffled by distance .sx They were at the house .sx They would be inside in no time now .sx He pressed his foot on the self-starter .sx It ground , the engine throbbed ; Dimmock dragged back on the lever .sx The single door of the garage , balanced to perfect response and powerfully sprung , opened with a sudden sweep .sx The car was already moving .sx Someone crashed into the door and cursed .sx Then a shout broke almost in Dimmock's ear as the ear slid over the threshold .sx It gathered speed , headed towards the wide gates that , like the garage door , had swung open to the action of the lever .sx The man at the wheel crouched low .sx Two figures sprang after the car , and bullets began to sing overhead , to thud into the body of the vehicle .sx Not much noise ; they were using silencers .sx Creed held his reply .sx Dimmock got into second , brought the car on to the side-road outside , straightened out , got into third , then swung into the main road and , passing a stationary car , sped Londonwards like a bat out of the pit .sx DUPED !sx AT the end of a mews , behind one of the short , narrow streets that lie in the immediate angle formed by Baker Street and the Marylebone Road , stands a converted coach-house .sx It formed , originally , part of a large and well-built estate , for its Georgian front is distinctly superior in workmanship to the other buildings which line each side of the mews .sx The ground floor is a garage ; the upper has been turned into a flat with modern improvements .sx Nor are the conveniences all to be reckoned inside if it means anything to a tenant to have more than one means of approach and departure .sx At the back one can step into an old , disused graveyard .sx The gate in the iron railings that separate this almost-forgotten retreat from the street is padlocked ; but the rusty iron lock is so primitive of design that it is a simple matter to open it .sx The accommodation in the flat is by no means extensive .sx There is a small sitting-room , a dining-room of equally restricted area , a tiny kitchen and three small bedrooms ; enough , however , for one whose household is not large .sx And privacy may be a great asset .sx At that hour in the morning when London seems to pause before starting the turn of another day , a woman sat in one of two easy-chairs that were drawn up before the fire in the sitting-room .sx She was young and decidedly attractive in a vividly exotic way .sx Her hair was amazingly red , her pale face " made-up " with no little artistry , even the nostrils being tinted .sx A green velvet dress clung alluringly to her beautifully made body .sx Her necklace and rings were good , a little too " heavy , " if one might be ultra-critical .sx She was smoking , had been devouring cigarette after cigarette for the better part of two hours .sx Her gaze was almost constantly fixed on the closed door ; her head was turned slightly towards the window .sx The little silver clock on the mantelpiece had just chimed the quarter-past four when she sat up suddenly , her stare intensified .sx She saw the handle of the door turn , watched while it swung open almost noiselessly .sx She relaxed at sight of the ham whose method of entry was so silent .sx He was small , compact , lithe .sx His coal-black hair was varnished and plastered flat to his head .sx His face was white like that of one who sees little of the sun .sx His brown eyes and his wide smile were united in smooth suavity ; his voice was soft and slick as an oiled bearing .sx " You waited up , " was what he said , when he had closed the door .sx " Of course ; well ?sx " Her voice slurred a little , had a hint of American accent mixed in it .sx His was stronger with the same origin .sx " It was a fade-out .sx " Her lips curled in a faint sneer .sx " What's the matter with you , Sam ?sx You had him all taped , hadn't you ?sx " Sure we had .sx But he was all set to get started , and , believe me , when he did start he kept moving .sx " " Why didn't you stop him ?sx You had plenty of guns with you .sx What do you want him to do walk up to you and say ' Were you looking for me , Mr. Kiley ?sx Please bump me off if you have the fancy .sx ' Is that it ?sx " The smile did not leave his face ; but his eyes held hers in silence .sx A full minute passed .sx The woman shifted uneasily , her gaze remaining fixed on his as if held by some fascination she could not break .sx At last she gasped and struggled to sit up .sx " Don't , Sam , don't , " she burst out , " don't look at me like that .sx " " I don't think we will have any more wise-cracking , baby , " he said softly .sx " Papa might get cross , and that isn't heaIthy .sx " She relaxed .sx " I'm sorry , Sam .sx But I counted so on this .sx I thought you'd get him to-night .sx " " And so I would if he hadn't been primed to make the quickest get-away I've ever seen .sx " " What happened ?sx " " We closed in soon after dark .sx Chan got on to the roof from the front porch .sx Then we had a long wait ; there was traffic passing on the main road .sx I wasn't taking any chances .sx It was along about midnight before I gave Chan the signal .sx He came down the roof and laid Creed out like a charm .sx Creed must have made some signal to Dimmock .sx I don't know ; I'm puzzled about that .sx " " Why ?sx " " Because the place was suddenly lit up and Dimmock popped out almost at once .sx He hauled Creed into the house .sx