They parted with the superintendent in the corridor; then Ashton-Kirk led the way into a room where some police officials and a number of young men were lounging about.

“Oh, how are you?” greeted a stout sergeant, affably.  “And how’s the work?”

While the investigator was speaking to the sergeant, one of the alert-looking young men approached.

“Pardon,” said he.  “But is there anything you’d like to say to the Star?”

“No,” replied Ashton-Kirk.

“You are working on the Hume case, are you not?” asked the reporter with professional insistence.

“Oh, I have had a little interest in it as an outsider, that is all,” returned the other.  “However,” as he was passing through with Pendleton, “I can give you a piece of official police news on the case, which I just got from the superintendent.  After to-night the guard will be removed from Hume’s place.  Weagle thinks the regular policeman on the beat is all that is needed from now on.”

As they left the building by the main door, Pendleton said: 

“A little while ago, I rashly promised to ask no more questions.  If you’ll release me from that, I’ll unburden myself of one or two which will otherwise keep me awake to-night.”

“Go ahead,” said Ashton-Kirk with a smile.

“Why,” asked Pendleton, “do you want the police called off at Hume’s? and why should we place ourselves on watch instead?”

“At the very first we made up our minds that the men who murdered Hume were in search of something, didn’t we?  Up to this time I have been unable to say whether they had succeeded or not.  Now, however, I am convinced that they failed.”

“Ah!”

“To-morrow the newspapers will announce that Hume’s place is to be no longer guarded.  It may be that the criminals are desperate enough to venture another visit in order to gain possession of the thing they covet.  If they do, we shall be awaiting them.”

“But how do you know that they failed of their object on the night of the murder?”

“You and I,” said Ashton-Kirk, laughingly, “are perhaps going to spend considerable time in Christie Place, beginning with to-morrow evening.  And while there we may find it dull enough, old boy; a little amusement of a practical sort might not be found out of place.  So I’ll not answer your question now; I’ll allow it to stand until to-morrow night; and then I’ll give it to you, compact and complete, with practical illustrations as I go along.”

CHAPTER XXII

ASHTON-KIRK IS ANNOYED

On the following day, at about noon, Ashton-Kirk’s big French car glided up to the curb before the Vale house.  A man with a thick neck and a small head nodded to the investigator; another waved a hand from across the street.

“Plain-clothes men,” he murmured, “and at watch upon the house.  That means that this matter can be brought to an end none too soon for Miss Vale’s comfort.”