"By Jove!" I cried. "Most excellent. I'll soon find out what his
movements were. Thank you very much," I added. "Remember nobody is to
know anything whatever of the work in progress. That man may have been
a Spy."
"That's just exactly what I put him down to be, sir!" declared the
foreman. "But trust me. Nobody shall know anything."
When I rejoined Roseye and Teddy they were inquisitive--and very
naturally--as to what the foreman had been telling me. But I kept my
own counsel, determined to make investigations alone.
We drove back to town and lunched in the restaurant at the Piccadilly
Hotel. Teddy had suggested the Automobile Club, but I had overruled
him, and we went to the Piccadilly instead. At the club there was far
too much flying "shop"--and I wanted time to think.
At three o'clock I ran Roseye home, dropping Teddy on the way, and then
returned to Shaftesbury Avenue.
As I entered, Theed told me that his father had been up to say that on
the previous night there had been some strangers about the shed at
Gunnersbury. He had heard footsteps around the place at about three
o'clock in the morning, but on going out he could discover nobody. He
had taken out his big heavy Browning pistol which I had bought for him,
and he had told his own son that he regretted that he had not caught the
intruders.
Here was another source of suspicion! It confirmed my belief that the
Invisible Hand had been laid once more upon us, and, further, that
whoever directed it was alike most daring and unscrupulous.
"That's most curious!" I said, in reply to Theed. "Your father seems
to be having quite a lively time at night out there!"
"Yes. He does, sir. He's convinced that somebody is watching to find
out what's going on--spies, he declares."
"No, no, Theed," I laughed, in order to hearten him. "There's far too
much bunkum talked about spies, and far too many sensational rumours on
every hand. Tell your father that he's becoming nervous. Surely he
ought not to be after all his long police service!"
I only uttered those words for effect. I knew that Theed would bully
the old man, and tell him that he was suffering from nerves. Every son
loves to jeer at his father, be he peer or peasant.