H.M. was querulous. "Because we've got to learn more about it ourselves, that's why. So far there are only two things we do know about it: we know it's counterfeit, and we know it was in a newspaper at Hogenauer's house. Humph. The first thing we got to find out definitely is whether it's a part of the Willoughby slush… I say, Charters: is there any way of definitely tellin' where this note came from? You didn't make a list of all the Willoughby stuff, did you?"
"Certainly," said Charters, as though he rather resented this. He had been staring curiously at the door, as though something bothered him, but now he came back to business. "I took the numbers even of the forged notes. Dammit, man, the stuff was in my safe; it wouldn't do for there to have been a mix-up. That is to say, it wouldn't do for the Chief Constable of the County to give somebody a counterfeit note out of his own pocket. I can identify that one for you easily. Shall I go over and get the list?"
"In a minute, in a minute," said H.M. querulously. He looked thoughtful. "But, oh, my bleedin' eye, ain't we goin' to be up the pole if it turns out that that hundred-quid note didn't come from Willoughby's packet?"
This stopped us for a second.
"The business," I said, "is confused enough without your trying to tangle it up still more. That note must have come from the Willoughby stuff! If it didn't — look here, you don't think there are two gangs of counterfeiters operating within a dozen miles of each other, do you?"
"Oh, no. I was just sittin' and thinkin', you understand. I was just devisin' ways and means to convey something to somebody. We won't get much forrader until we have a go at Serpos and Bowers. The idea's got into my head that Serpos is both the key and the door to this business; and that's a dual role that's goin' to bother us a whole lot. But Bowers — yes, I got great hopes of Bowers."
"The little one?" asked Evelyn curiously. "Why?"
"'Hi, cocky'," quoted H.M. "I've had one go at Bowers already, and he strikes me as being a devilish shrewd lad. Burn me, look at his conduct back at the villa in Moreton Abbot! Look at the way he saw that spindle and knob missing from Hogenauer's parlour door, and immediately tumbled to what had happened, and ducked down on the floor and found the knob before Ken's thick wits had even clicked over! That wasn't half bad, you know. Well, you've been askin' yourselves a lot of questions about that hundred-quid note; but you've missed most of the important ones. Who would 'a' been closest to it? Bowers's particular province was cleanin' up litter — like newspapers. Bowers's province was the kitchen and the scullery. If anybody was likely to observe how a big bank-note got mysteriously wafted into the Daily Telegraph, it should 'a' been Bowers. Didn't he ever read the newspapers, after Hogenauer had finished with 'em? Most servants do. And, I repeat, he's an observant lad. Finally, there's one thing I want to impress on your fat heads. Ken, do you remember only to-night, when we were drivin' up there, I gave you a list of Hogenauer's accomplishments? Do you remember what I said was his greatest accomplishment?"
"You said," I answered, "that there wasn't much about engraving he didn't know, or inks, or dyes"
"Right," said H.M., and opened his eyes slightly, just as there was a knock at the door.