"
"Wotcher say, guv'nor?" queried the cabman again, turning his bleared
eyes upon Sergeant Sowerby.
"He said," interrupted Dunbar, "was Brian's cab empty?"
"'Course it was," rapped Mr. Hamper, "'e 'd just dropped 'is fare at
Palace Mansions."...
"How do you know?" snapped Dunbar, suddenly, fixing his fierce eyes upon
the face of the speaker.
The cabman glared in beery truculence.
"I got me blarsted senses, ain't I?" he inquired. "There's only two lots
o' flats on that side o' the Square--Palace Mansions, an' St. Andrew's
Mansions."
"Well?"
"St. Andrew's Mansions," continued Hamper, "is all away!"
"All away?"
"All away! I know, 'cause I used to have a reg'lar fare there. 'E's
in Egyp'; flat shut up. Top floor's to let. Bottom floor's two old
unmarried maiden ladies what always travels by 'bus. So does all their
blarsted friends an' relations. Where can old Tom Brian 'ave been comin'
from, if it wasn't Palace Mansions?"
"H'm!" said Dunbar, "you are a loss to the detective service, my lad!
And how do you account for the fact that Brian has not got to hear of
the inquiry?"
Hamper bent to Dunbar and whispered, beerily, in his ear: "P'r'aps 'e
don't want to 'ear, guv'nor!"
"Oh! Why not?"
"Well, 'e knows there's something up there!"
"Therefore it's his plain duty to assist the police.
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