"No, sir. We've heard nothing of him since he left yesterday evening."
That was less like the chief commissioner than anything, to disappear without a word to anyone; and Teal was a rather puzzled man as he made his way to his little office overlooking the Embankment.
He worked there until ten o'clock; for in spite of the air of massive boredom which he was never without, he was, as a matter of fact, absorbed in his profession, and regular office hours meant nothing to him when he was on a case. In this he was totally different from his immediate superior, Mr. Cullis, who always grudged giving one minute more of his time than the state purchased with his salary.
He prepared to leave at last, however, and as he emerged into the corridor a hurrying constable collided with him violently.
A buff envelope was knocked out of the man's hand by the impact, and Teal good-humouredly stooped to pick it up. As he did so he noticed the address.
"Hasn't Mr. Cullis gone home?" he inquired.
"No, sir. He's still in his room."
"Can you wait half a minute?"
Without waiting for a reply Teal went back into his office, taking the telegram with him. Under the constable's goggling eyes Teal carefully sponged the back of the envelope and eased up the flap with his paper knife. Then he extracted the form and read the message.
He actually stopped maltreating a well-worn pellet of spearmint as he read.