He waved a good-bye and shortly afterwards we heard the car go humming away down the road. He reached the station with a good five minutes to spare before his train (as he related afterwards) so he sauntered to the booking office to get his ticket. Surely he knew that figure just in advance of him!
“Good-morning, Inspector!” Baddeley wheeled quickly at the unexpected greeting.
“Why, it’s Mr. Bathurst. Going to Victoria, sir?”
“Yes. Are you?”
“Thought of taking a run up.” He grinned. “Though I didn’t know I was coming till this morning, itself.”
“Good! We’ll travel together then, Inspector.”
The train rumbled in and the pair sought, with success, an empty compartment.
Baddeley was in a communicative mood.
“Major Hornby has left Canterbury, Mr. Bathurst. You may be interested to know that. I made inquiries last night. He’s stopping at a private hotel in the Kensington district—near Gloucester Road.”
Mr. Bathurst was interested—but not tremendously. He was not aware of the Inspector’s desire to get into touch again with Major Hornby. How had the Inspector fared over the little matter of the cigar stub?