“At present—we say nothing,” answered Blick, and went away. But once outside the Dower House he turned to the Chief Constable.
“Worked like a charm!” he muttered. “Well—what next?”
Then he remembered the gunsmith at Selcaster and hurried back there in the Chief Constable’s dogcart.
The gunsmith met him as he turned in at his shop-door, and drew him aside.
“I’ve found out about that automatic pistol for you,” he whispered. “We did sell it! About three months ago. We sold it to Mr. Harry Markenmore, of Markenmore Court. Like to see the entry?”
CHAPTER XX
VILLAGE GOSSIP
The Chief Constable had followed close upon Blick’s heels when the detective walked into the gunsmith’s shop, and he caught the whispered information. Not as accustomed as Blick was to reserve of speech and stolidity of expression he let out a word of surprise, scarcely checked. But Blick said nothing, and his only sign was one of assent to the gunsmith’s proposition: together the three men went to the back of the shop, where a sharp looking young man was busy with account books.
“My manager, Mr. Waters,” said the gunsmith. “Waters—just show these gentlemen that entry we looked up a while ago.”