“No reason at all—like I told you. . . . He knew the Canary; but that ain’t no secret.”

Markham dropped the subject.

“What do you know about Miss Odell’s relations with a Doctor Ambroise Lindquist?”

Mannix was now obviously perplexed.

“Never heard of him—no, never. She didn’t know him when I was taking her around.”

“Whom else besides Cleaver did she know well?”

Mannix shook his head ponderously.

“Now, that I couldn’t say—positively I couldn’t say. Seen her with this man and that, same as everybody saw her; but who they were I don’t know—absolutely.”

“Ever hear of Tony Skeel?” Markham quickly leaned over and met the other’s gaze inquiringly.

Once more Mannix hesitated, and his eyes glittered calculatingly.