‘Where exactly did you pick him up?
‘In Knightsbridge, not far from Piccadilly.’
‘At what time?’
‘About ten minutes to eight.’
‘And where did you set him down?’
‘Over thirty miles away—at a cross-roads away beyond Luton.’
James Daunt sprang excitedly to his feet.
‘What?’ he roared. ‘Where did you say?’ Here, surely, was the impossible! All were agreed that Cosgrove could not have made the run in the time, and yet, it now seemed, he had done so. And then the thought of the tremendous consequences of this discovery overwhelmed every other consideration. If Cosgrove had really been to Luce Manor, particularly after his own denial, he must unquestionably be guilty. And if he were guilty, Austin was innocent. Jimmy believed he now held the evidence which would save his client.
He thought rapidly for a few seconds.
‘At what hour did you reach this cross-roads?’ he asked.