“If it is anything very serious I know nothing about it,” said the porter. “I might as well tell you that I did him a favour the other night.”
“Last night was it?”
“Yes. He was in the hall when somebody telephoned through for him, and he asked me to keep them waiting whilst he went up to his room. He told me it was a lady friend that he wasn’t on good terms with. That’s all I know about it. He is a very nice man,” he added in justification.
“A perfect peach,” agreed Carver sardonically. “Well?”
One of the men he had left to search the room was coming hurriedly across the lounge. He drew Carver aside and produced from his pocket a long-barrelled revolver of an old-fashioned make.
“We found this in one of the drawers,” he said.
Carver examined it curiously. The moment he saw it he knew what it was, even before he found the Chinese characters engraved on the steel of the butt.
“I thought so,” he said. “It is a Chinese issue, the sort they served out to their army officers about twelve years ago. I think you’ll find it was the property of Trasmere.” He snapped it open. It was fully loaded, containing four live and two used cartridges. “Keep that carefully apart. Wrap it in paper and have it photographed for finger-prints,” he ordered. “You found nothing else?”
“There’s a receipted bill from Burbidges for a sapphire ring,” said the man and Carver smiled faintly.
The present which Rex had bought “in Rome” for his friend had been purchased within a few miles of Doughty Street and was intended to emphasise the fact that Rex was abroad.