“Of course,” Anthony said stiffly.
“Then that’s all right,” observed the inspector with great heartiness. “I shan’t be able to do anything until my man comes down with the original document, of course; but he ought to be here any time now. And by the way,” he added to Roger, “it may interest you to hear that I’m officially in charge of the case now. I got my authorisation from headquarters this morning.”
Roger picked up his cue. “I’ll mention that in my report to-night, Inspector.”
“Well, you can if you want to, sir, of course,” said the inspector with an air of innocent surprise.
As if by tacit agreement, the talk for the rest of the meal turned upon general topics.
As soon as his pipe was alight the inspector rose to go. Roger waited until he had left the room, then rose from his chair and darted in his wake, closing the sitting-room door behind him.
“Inspector,” he said in a low voice, as he caught him up on the landing, “there’s one question I must ask you. Are you intending to arrest Miss Cross?”
The inspector looked at him quizzically. “Are you speaking as a newspaper-man or as a friend of the lady’s, sir?”
“Neither. As Roger Sheringham, private and inquisitive citizen.”
“Well,” the inspector said slowly, “to a newspaper-man I should answer, ‘Don’t ask me leading questions’; to a friend of the lady’s, ‘I don’t understand what you’re talking about’; and to Mr. Sheringham, private citizen and personal friend of my own, if I may say so, ‘No, I’m not!’ ”