"Why, of course, Inspector," I said, with a smile. "I don't wonder you suspected me on the evidence you had. It looked like a certainty."
He shook his head. "It's an amazing case, sir; but to tell you the truth, I thought we'd made—a mistake in the charge the minute I'd arrested you." He crossed the room to the door on the other side. "This room will be at your disposal, if you wish to talk things over. I must see what further steps our people propose to take."
"Let me add my congratulations," said Gordon, as soon as we found ourselves alone.
I gripped the hand he offered me. "Thanks," I said. "I'm very much obliged to you for all the trouble you've taken."
He smiled in his curious languid manner. "There is no reason to be grateful to me," he replied. "It was your amazing butler who took over the defence. I have never had a case in which I've been quite so superfluous."
As he spoke, my fears about Billy and Mercia, which had momentarily lapsed in the excitement of my acquittal, rushed back on me with redoubled force.
"Mr. Gordon," I said, "I may want your help more than ever now. Something has happened to Miss Solano. Billy was to have called for her and brought her to the court, and neither of them have turned up."
"I know," he answered quickly. "But don't be too alarmed about it. I've had a very good man watching the house since yesterday morning; and unless Preston's quite wrong, Guarez and the others are lying up somewhere in the East End. They'd hardly dare—"
"It's not Guarez I'm afraid of," I interrupted: "it's Sangatte."
"Lord Sangatte!" he echoed in surprise.