Clancey whistled.
“That looks rather awkward for Master Alistair.”
There was a knock on the door. It was Inspector Groombridge.
“Excuse me, sir, my man has just brought this. It was delivered by a
stranger to the hall-porter of the building where Mr. Froelich occupies a
flat.” He handed a letter to the Assistant Commissioner, who read it
slowly and without comment passed it to Clancey. Clancey, read it
through, smiled, and passed it back.
“I think that settles it,” he remarked, “and with your kind permission I
will now depart.”
Nodding farewell to the Assistant Commissioner, Clancey withdrew by the
private exit opposite to the one which led into the room where Bobby was
miserably awaiting his fate.
“Show Mr. Froelich in, Inspector Groombridge, and, by the way, I hope you
have treated him with courtesy.”
The inspector cleared his throat.
“Oh, I think so, sir. Of course, it’s rather difficult in these cases to
make a gentleman comfortable, but I gave him a shake-down in my own
private room for the night and sent a man for his toilet things and so on
in the morning.”
“Very well, Inspector; show him in at once.”
Bobby came into the room; his expression was more bewildered than
apprehensive. The Assistant Commissioner held out his hand, which Bobby
took with a look of surprise.
“Do sit down, Mr. Froelich. I am so sorry to have troubled you. You will,
I am sure, understand that in times like these one has to be very
careful, and your acquaintance with Madame de Corantin--”
“Madame de Corantin!” Bobby, exclaimed. “What in the world--”
“One moment, Mr. Froelich. I’ll try and explain it to you. Madame de
Corantin is known to us. She is a very clever emissary of the German
Government, and she has succeeded in baffling us entirely up till now
because by a chain of coincidences there has been no one who could
identify her on the various occasions that she has been in England.
Thanks to her influential connections, she has succeeded in obtaining
information of considerable value, and has also been enabled to elude
both the French authorities and ourselves. We have reason to believe that
she has secured travelling facilities and passports through her relations
with high Government officials, both French and English, whom she knew
before the War. You will understand, therefore, that your acquaintance
with her was at first sight a suspicious circumstance. I am glad to be
able to tell you, however, that on inquiry we find that you are entirely
innocent of any complicity with her plans, and this result of our
investigations is confirmed by a letter which she apparently addressed
to you.”
Bobby’s face had been growing longer and longer as the Assistant
Commissioner proceeded. When Mr. Crane mentioned the letter Bobby could
not restrain an exclamation.
“A letter?” he asked excitedly. “What letter?”
“This,” said the Assistant Commissioner, handing him the note that
Clancey and he had previously seen.