“But how did you get the cipher?” he asked in blank astonishment.
“Never mind about that. The question is, will you do exactly as I ask? I will call at M. Volheno’s office to-morrow afternoon and you must manage to see me and——”
“He has an appointment from four to five with M. Franco at the latter’s bureau. If you come then I could see you privately without exciting any suspicion.”
I agreed to do this and then, having got from him his address and the time when he would reach his house and give the papers to Miralda, I made certain that no one on the Rampallo was taking stock of our movements, and smuggled him into the launch.
As soon as he had left to return to his office I sent the men with the launch to wait at the usual landing-stage on the quay.
When I reached my rooms, the little farce had been played and Henriques had gone. I calculated that his first step would be to deliver the letter to Vasco, who would immediately send Miralda for the papers, and my intention was to meet her as she left Dagara’s house.
It was essential that I should know to whom she was to hand them and that person must be shadowed from the moment they were in his or her possession.
In the meanwhile I had to ascertain whether Sampayo had left the city, and to do this I sent my servant, Bryant, a sharp fellow, with a letter for Sampayo. I told him to say it was to be given into Sampayo’s own hands, and if asked, he was to say it was from Dr. Barosa.
I wrote one line: “Give you one more hour.”
He returned with the news that Sampayo had gone. The furniture was being removed and all the evidences of a speedy departure were everywhere. I concluded, therefore, that Sampayo had learnt of the failure of his little scheme the previous night and had fled.