“Mr. Reeves, I am sorry to say that you are not telling me the truth.”
Reeves sat stunned. It was too bad, that he should have thrown away disguises only to be called a liar. It was too bad that Gordon should have been right when he said “Nothing deceives like the truth.” He sat there humbled, waiting for more.
“Of course, I don’t see at all why you and your friends see fit to treat me in this way. The only thing that seems quite clear to me is that it is unfair to expect me to be frank with you when you are not being frank with me. I am sorry to say that I cannot help you.”
“May I say something? I am afraid you feel that you are being left in the dark because I am not telling you everything, all the suspicions we have formed as well as the facts which have come to our notice. I can quite understand that, if that is what you mean, but——”
“I mean nothing of the kind. I mean that the statements which you have made to me are, to my certain knowledge, untrue.”
Reeves gave a rather ghastly smile. “Would you mind telling me exactly which statement of mine it is that you call in question?”
“Really, Mr. Reeves, you seem to expect a great deal of me. You come to me, a complete stranger, asking for private information. You ask for it on the ground that you are conducting a private investigation, and you tell me your story. I do not know whether there is a word of truth in your story. I only know that one detail in it is demonstrably false. You now expect me to tell you which that detail is, so that you can correct the only part of your story which I know to be false; is that reasonable? Come now, Mr. Reeves, tell me the whole story again, exactly as it happened, and I will see if I can help you.”
“I’m really very sorry, but I have already told you the truth to the best of my ability. I am afraid I could not alter my ‘story,’ as you call it, without falsification.”
“Well, I am afraid we seem to be at cross purposes. Perhaps it would be best if you conducted your researches independently, since we cannot agree?”
There was no mistaking the hint of the front door about this last suggestion. Reeves rose with what dignity he could muster, and took his leave. It must be regretfully admitted that Gordon received the account he gave of his experiences with tempestuous laughter; and Reeves was glad of that mantle of inaudibility which cuts off the motor-cyclist from his side-car when it is in motion.