‘I’m frightfully sorry, Lois,’ he began, after seeing that she was comfortably seated, ‘but I haven’t told you all the news yet, and I’m afraid the rest of it is not too good.’
Her expressive face became clouded and anxious, but she did not speak. Then Daunt told her as gently as he could of the lunch at the Étoile, and Tanner’s theories resulting therefrom.
‘But that’s not such bad news,’ she said with evident relief. ‘Inspector Tanner must have made a mistake. Austin said he didn’t see his father after the Sunday evening.’
Daunt moved uneasily. It was a confoundedly awkward job, and he wished he was through with it.
‘Dear Lois, it sounds a perfectly horrible thing to say, but that is just the difficulty. In spite of Austin’s denial, Tanner is convinced the meeting took place. I believed he was mistaken, so I went down to the restaurant myself. I took Austin’s photograph, and the manager, two waiters, and the porter recognised it instantly. All four are prepared to swear Austin was there.’
‘Did you tell Austin?’
‘Yes. He stuck to his denial.’
Daunt had expected and feared an outbreak from Lois on hearing the news, but though her face showed extreme pain, she spoke very quietly.
‘There is no reason to suppose the four men in the cafe are dishonest. They couldn’t have been bought to swear this?’
‘It’s possible, I suppose, but I fear there’s no evidence of it, and even if it were true, we would never get evidence.’