“What was his line?” the Inspector inquired.
“Confidence trick in one form or another, they say. Very plausible tongue, apparently.”
“Did they say anything more about him?” asked the Inspector. “Anything about working with a gang usually, or something like that? If he did, then we might get a clue or two from his associates.”
“He usually played a lone hand, it seems,” Sir Clinton answered. “Apparently he used to be on the Halls—the cheaper kind. ‘The Wonderful Wizard of Woz’ he called himself then. But somehow they made the business too hot for him and he cleared out into swindling.”
“Ah!” Armadale evidently saw something which had not occurred to him before. “Those pockets of his—the ones that puzzled me. They might have been useful to a man who could do a bit of sleight-of-hand. I never thought of that at the time.”
He looked accusingly at Sir Clinton, who laughed at the expression in the Inspector’s eyes.
“Of course I admit I saw the use of the pockets almost at once,” he said. “But that’s not a breach of our bargain, Inspector. The facts are all that we are pooling, remember; and the fact that Foss had these peculiar pockets was as well known to you as to myself. This notion about sleight-of-hand is an interpretation of the facts, remember; and we weren’t to share our inferences.”
“I knew pretty well at the time that you’d spotted something,” Armadale contented himself with saying. “But since you put it in that way I’ll admit you were quite justified in keeping it to yourself as special information, sir. I take it that it’s a race between us now; and the one that hits on the solution first is the winner. I don’t mind.”
“Then there’s one other bit of information needed to bring us level. I’ve just had a message over the ’phone from Mr. Cecil Chacewater. It appears he’s just got home again; came by the first train in the morning from town, apparently. He’s waiting for us now, so we’d better go up to Ravensthorpe. I have an idea that he may be able to throw some light on his brother’s disappearance. At least he may be able to show us how that disappearing trick was done; and that would always be a step forward.”
When they reached Ravensthorpe Cecil was awaiting them. The inspector noticed that he seemed tired and had a weary look in his eyes.