Grant answered the 'phone in Chesterfield Street. To Smeaton's inquiry,
he replied that Miss Monkton had just left the house with Mr Wingate.
They were lunching out somewhere, but she had left word that she would
be back about three o'clock.
"Any message, sir?" he concluded.
"No, thank you. Grant. I want to see her rather particularly. I'll
look round about three o'clock. I suppose she's likely to be pretty
punctual?"
Grant replied that, as a rule, she kept her time. He added, with the
privileged freedom of an old servant: "But you know, sir, when young
folk get together, they are not in a great hurry to part. And poor Miss
Sheila hasn't much brightness in her life now. I don't know what she
would do if it wasn't for Mr Wingate."
About two o'clock Varney walked into Smeaton's room at Scotland Yard.
He had taken an early morning train to Forest View, to find out what he
could concerning the mysterious flitting. He had interviewed the
house-agent at Horsham, and had learned a few facts which he
communicated to the detective.
There had been mystery about the man who called himself Strange from the
beginning. When he proposed to take the house, he had been asked for
references, according to the usual custom. He had demurred to this,
explained that he did not care to trouble his friends on such a matter,
and made a counter-proposition. He would pay a quarter's rent at once,
and every three months pay in advance.
The landlord and the house-agent both thought this a queer proceeding,
and were half inclined to insist upon references. But the house had
been to let for some time, and the loss of rent was a consideration.
The man Strange might be an eccentric sort of person, who disliked
putting himself under an obligation, even of such a trifling kind. They
gave him the benefit of the doubt, feeling so far as the money was
concerned that they were on the safe side.
Another peculiar thing about Mr Strange was that, during the whole of
his residence at Forest View, he had never been known to give a cheque.
The landlord's rent was paid in banknotes, the tradesmen's accounts in
gold and silver.