Behrend whipped out a pistol from his hip pocket and thrust it in Mortimer’s face.
“Is this another of your infernal surprise packets?” he demanded fiercely.
All the spies seemed on a sudden to be armed, Desmond noted, all, that is, save Mrs. Malplaquet who lay cowering on the settee. Mortimer had pulled out his super-Mauser; No. 13, who was guarding the door, had a revolver in his hand, and Behrend, as has been stated, was threatening Mortimer with his Browning.
Now Max advanced threateningly into the room, a long seaman’s knife in his hand..
“Put that blarsted shooting-iron awiy!” he snarled at Mortimer, “and tell us wot’s the little gime, will yer! Come on, egpline!”
With absolute self-possession Mortimer turned from the stranger to Desmond.
“I think it is up to the twins to explain,” he said almost nonchalantly, “suppose we hear what this gentleman, who arrived so surprisingly through the book-shelves, has to say?”
Though threatened with danger from two sides, from the gang and possibly, as far as he knew, from the stranger, Mortimer was perfectly calm. Desmond never admired Maurice Strangwise more than in that moment. All eyes now turned questioningly towards the new arrival. As for Desmond he drew back as far as he dared into the shadow. He knew he was in the direst peril; but he was not afraid for himself. He was crushed to the ground by the sickening feeling that he was going to be beaten, that the gang were going to slip through his fingers after all... and he was powerless to prevent it.
He guessed at once what had happened. Bellward must have escaped from custody; for there was no disguise about this pale, flustered creature who had the cowed look of a hunted man in his eyes. He must have come to the Mill House to get his motorcycle; for he surely would have known that the villa would be the first place to which the police would follow him up.
Desmond saw a little ray of hope. If—it was a very big if—Bellward’s flight were discovered promptly, the police might be expected to reach the Mill House very soon behind him. Bellward must have come straight there; for he had not even taken the very elementary precaution of shaving off his beard. That made Desmond think that he must have escaped some time that evening after the barbers’ shops were closed.