"No; he won't be back till five, when he has an important meeting."
"Yes … I know … most important. That's what I'm here for. But I should have liked to see him first. I should so much have liked to see him!"
The secretary stared at Vérot and said:
"What a state you're in! Is your message so urgent as all that?"
"It's very urgent, indeed. It has to do with a crime that took place a month ago, to the day. And, above all, it's a matter of preventing two murders which are the outcome of that other crime and which are to be committed to-night. Yes, to-night, inevitably, unless we take the necessary steps."
"Sit down, Vérot, won't you?"
"You see, the whole thing has been planned in such an infernal manner!
You would never have imagined—"
"Still, Vérot, as you know about it beforehand, and as Monsieur le Préfet is sure to give you full powers—"
"Yes, of course, of course. But, all the same, it's terrible to think that I might miss him. So I wrote him this letter, telling him all I know about the business. I thought it safer."
He handed the secretary a large yellow envelope and added: