At last came the request for the description of the fugitive, and this Pucci gave slowly, with professional exactness, so that it could be taken down.
“He is a very clever and elusive person, and no doubt suspects he may be followed,” Pucci added. “Therefore the greatest caution is necessary not to let him discover that observation is being kept. I am at Orbetello, and am coming on to Turin by the next train to report personally to the Questore.”
The voice in return assured the detective that the fugitive would be met and watched by one of the shrewdest officers available.
“Benissimo! I shall arrive about three. Please tell the Questore that the matter is a strictly confidential one—a private inquiry instituted by the direction of His Majesty the King.”
“Your message shall be sent to the Questore to his home at once,” the voice replied, and their communication was interrupted.
Would they be successful in cutting off the spy’s retreat?
Suspecting that he would be followed, he might leave the train at Pisa and go on to Florence, and thence to Milan. Or again, at Genoa he might decide to continue along to Ventimiglia and thus across the frontier into France at that point.
Hubert pointed out these loopholes of escape, whereupon Pucci returned to the telephone and was presently speaking to the Commissary of Police at the station of Ventimiglia, giving him a description of the fugitive, and asking that he might be followed. And afterwards he spoke to the police officer at Pisa station, warning him in similar manner.
Thus all that they could do from that dark, lonely, obscure little town they did, yet Hubert’s thoughts were chiefly with Lola. He was wondering if she had yet returned to Rome.
The startling truth which he had learnt while listening to the conversation in Orvieto that evening had staggered him.