“He saw a line or two in Aubrey's blotting-book telling him that Mrs. C. would be at Crow's Inn with the twinklers at a quarter to twelve,” Tony pursued. “He will tell you himself just what it was. He sees now that he ought to have come to you at once, but he did not know what to do, the poor old governor. He had taken rather a fancy to Aubrey lately, though he never thought much of him as a kid. But, naturally, one doesn't like to try to hang one's nephew, or half-nephew by marriage. You know his mother was my mother's half-sister.”
“And Luke Bechcombe's,” Steadman said.
“Well, no one can help what one's nephews, or half-nephews do!”
“The first direct line we had to Todmarsh came from you, though, Tony. When you told us your suspicions of Mrs. Phillimore, you know,” replying to Tony's look of surprise.
“Knew she was a wrong 'un first time I saw her,” Tony acquiesced. “Carnthwacke was the same—‘bad little lot!’ he called her. Pretty well bust up the rich American widow business for you, didn't we?”
“You did!” the inspector said with a grin. “And a detective from Boston, whom we wired to, finished it. He recognized her as a woman that they had wanted for years; been in that crook business ever since she was a kid. I wasn't thinking she had turned reformer over here.”
“Not precisely!” Tony said with an answering grin. “Pretty well gave the show away when you arrested her, didn't she?”
“Wanted to turn King's evidence,” said the inspector, “but we weren't having any. Hopkins will do for us! By the way, sir,” turning to Steadman, “I found out this morning to whom we owed our escape from the Yellow Dog's clutches.”
“Indeed!” Steadman raised his eyebrows interrogatively.
“Hopkins's wife,” said the inspector. “It was the Hopkins's child you rescued from under Mrs. Phillimore's car on the day of Mrs. Bechcombe's lunch. You sent it to the Middlesex Hospital and sent your own car to fetch Mrs. Hopkins, and take her there like a lady, as she phrased it. Then you sent the child sweets and toys and this completely won the mother's heart. She acts as housekeeper to the Yellow Gang at the house by Stepney Causeway. If she had not been”—he shrugged his shoulders—“well, you and I would have been in kingdom come, Mr. Steadman.”