“Oh, damn you, shut up!” said Stella crossly. “What is it you want?”
A laugh floated to her ears. “Only that, darling.”
“Then go to hell!” said Stella, and slammed the receiver down.
Others beside Randall had seen the picture papers that morning, and it was not long before Mrs Lupton arrived at the Poplars in a state of outraged majesty. She wished to know whether Rose had been turned out of the house, and if not why not; whether Mrs Matthews realised the height of her own folly; what her sister Harriet had been about to let a reporter set foot inside the house; and what steps were being taken by the police to discover Gregory Matthews' murderer. No one was able to give an answer to this last question, and Mrs Lupton, not in any hasty spirit, but as the result of impartial consideration, pronounced her verdict: “The case is being handled with the grossest incompetence,” she declared. “I do not find that the police are making the smallest effort to trace my unfortunate brother's assassin.”
This harsh judgment, however, was not quite fair to Superintendent Hannasyde, who at that very moment was seated in Giles Carrington's office with Gregory Matthews' Pass-book open on the desk between them.
“Do you know what connection Matthews had with a man called Hyde?” Hannasyde asked.
Giles shook his head. “No, I'm afraid I don't. Why do you want to know?”
“I've been going through these Bank accounts,” replied Hannasyde, “and it appears that a considerable number of the cheques paid into his Bank by Matthews came from this Hyde. Take a look. They're all rather large sums, and seem to have been paid in regularly once a month.”
Giles took the Pass-book, and studied the marked entries. “Looks as though he were running some sort of a business,” he remarked. “If he was, I never heard of it. Do you suppose he owned a Pawnbroker's, or a Fish-and Chips shop, and didn't want anyone to know of it?”
“I can't make it out at all. It may be something of that nature. I've had an interview with the Bank Manager, but he doesn't know any more than you do. The cheques were all drawn on the City Branch of Foster's Bank. The Chief Cashier remembered them at once. I'll have to go and see what I can find out there.” He got up, and held out his hand for the Pass-book. “I came to see you first because it's always a bit of a job getting information out of Banks.”