Sir Richard’s right fingers crept to his vest pocket in abstraction. He stared at Saidee Isaacs and then dropped his eyes toward his vest. He brought out a small ring upon which was a single flat key. He toyed with this key as MacKeenon crept forward with the loose pouches of his leathern jaw hanging down.
“Bring me the boxes!� he said, pointing toward
the three tin boxes which stood at the end of the table.
MacKeenon set them in front of Sir Richard.
“It may be, Mac,� said the chief. “It may be that we have reached the end of the quest. There is something in what Fay has told us, after all. He’s a bungler and a fool and all o’ that, but he has enterprise. Suppose you go back to the coach house and tell the driver to give you those goggles from out the side pocket of the tonneau of the car that brought you down. I think I heard him take the car around the house. Tell him I want all of the goggles he has got.�
The inspector glanced at Fay.
“Go on,� said Sir Richard, “I’ll watch him.�
“Now you, Fay,â€� the chief continued as MacKeenon unlocked the door and vanished through the hallway. “Fay, you can’t steal! You’re a shining mark for us. You’ve got the nerve of the damned—but you overlook the essential trifles. That finger-print up over the transom in Hatton Gardens—for instance. The dropped hotel-key in Chicago—wasn’t it? And now the smoked-glasses. You should not have thrown them away.â€�
“She told me I shouldn’t have done it,� said Fay, turning toward Saidee Isaacs. He was surprised to notice that the girl had stepped halfway toward the door. Her eyes turned swiftly away from a spot on the wall. She nodded her head as Sir Richard glanced keenly at her.
“She told you, eh? She was right. A woman’s intuition is a sound compass to steer by. Saidee has