“Indeed you’re to do nothing of the kind! If we have the good luck to run across their writer we may be very glad of them.”
“How soon ought I to try to see Sir Harold?”
“As soon as I hear Sir Harold is back at work I’ll wire to you: ‘Have hopes of a clue.’ But look here, Miss Bower. If I were you I’d tell no one of what you mean to do, for it’s irregular—very irregular! If the case were reversed, if you were a gentleman and not a young lady, I’d never advise you to try to see Sir Harold. But I think he’ll see you.”
Sir Harold was what is known in common parlance as a ladies’ man. But somehow the detective felt it best to leave Jean Bower to discover that fact for herself.
CHAPTER XIV
“I’m frightened about Jean.”
Dr. Maclean looked across at his wife. “How d’you mean?” he asked irritably. “Explain yourself, woman.”
“I sent her upstairs to lie down after Mr. Kentworthy had gone away, and about tea-time Elsie went up to see if she was asleep. But she wasn’t in her room. We looked all over the house, but she’s slipped out without telling anybody.”
“Well? What of that? Why shouldn’t the girl want a breath of fresh air? It’s just what I should have done at her age if I’d felt as I’m afraid the poor wean is feeling now.”
“Listen to what she did do,” said Mrs. Maclean in a low voice. “Elsie felt uneasy—just as uneasy as I did. So she went off into the village. They said at the post office that Jean had gone by, walking very quickly, about a quarter of an hour before. Then Elsie—the woman’s no fool, Jock—somehow guessed what the child had done!”