“I see you are in luck, Pons,” I remarked.
“Your ratiocinative faculties are in full flow, Parker,” said Solar Pons drily, drawing me farther down the pavement.
“We have been extremely fortunate in this matter in that our quarry has not flown. The only remaining problem is how to spring the trap in the most effective manner.”
“I am afraid I do not follow, Pons.”
“That is because you have looked only, my dear fellow, without seeing what was so plainly before you. We are dealing with an extremely ruthless and bold criminal. We must get back to the hotel at once.”
And he said not a word further until we had arrived at our destination.
4
“I am immensely grateful to you, Mr Pons!”
“Tut, Mr Hibbert, I have done nothing for you as yet.”
Pons and I sat at lunch with the manager in the Metropole dining room. I was extremely hungry after our morning’s activities and did full justice to the excellent meal. The windows were open, golden bars of sunlight glanced in and the curtains billowed slightly with a cooling breeze. I smiled as I noticed Jamison’s gloomy countenance passing the dining room doors. The body of the late Mr Voss had been removed discreetly by a back entrance less than an hour ago. Hibbert had noticed Jamison too and his nose wrinkled in distaste.
“Nevertheless, Mr Pons, I think you have managed to put that ridiculous police inspector’s limited mind into another channel. The very idea of arresting me was fantastic. I do not know what I am to say to my board of directors.”
Pons smiled encouragingly and I broke into the conversation.
Jamison is not so bad when you get to know him, Mr Hibbert. He has his limitations, as you so justly point out…” The manager interrupted me in his turn.
“You have not been arrested by him, Dr Parker,” he said ruefully. “I think you might have a different standpoint in that case.”
Solar Pons chuckled.
“Touché, Mr Hibbert. I think he has you there, Parker.” Then he abruptly became serious.
“But we are not yet out of the wood. I must just make sure we do not move prematurely. Have you managed to contact those taxi-drivers?”
“By all means, Mr Pons. There are six of them, all regulars on the taxi-rank here and they will be at your disposal from three o’clock onwards.”
I turned a puzzled face to my companion.
“Taxi-drivers, Pons?”
“It is just a little matter, Parker, of crossing the t’s and dotting the i’s. As in most investigative work, you understand, Mr Hibbert.”
“You are certainly leaving nothing to chance, Mr Pons, though what you can read into this hopeless riddle is beyond me.”
“Hardly hopeless, Mr Hibbert,” said Pons smoothly. “Now, as we have finished our coffee and it wants but five minutes to three I think we might make a move.”
“I have asked them to come to my office one at a time, at three minute intervals, Mr Pons.”
“Excellent.”
I followed my companion and the manager into the latter’s office, so lately the scene of the little drama when Hibbert had fancied himself under close arrest. The atmosphere at the Metropole had so far changed since Pons’ arrival that the manager appeared to be in the ascendancy and Jamison himself on the defensive. The first of the drivers, a tall, thin, bearded man, was already waiting outside the door, nervously twisting his cap in his hands.
As soon as we were established in the office, the driver standing before the manager’s desk, Pons put the man at his ease.
“I am concerned only with the events of yesterday. If you can recall those fares you took up from the rank outside the hotel, I would be obliged. I am looking for a tall, burly man with fair hair who would have come from the hotel.”
The driver considered for only a moment and then shook his head.
“To the best of my recollection, sir, I never took up any fare of that description yesterday.”
I turned to Pons in astonishment but wisely held my tongue. Pons’ face expressed neither disappointment nor satisfaction.
“I am much obliged to you,” he said evenly. “Here is half a guinea for your time and trouble.”
We waited in silence until the next man was announced. The little scene, Pons’ questions and the drivers’ answers were continued until four interviews had been conducted in this manner with negative results.
The fifth man who presented himself was a little, sharp-faced person whose smart appearance and lively features bespoke intelligence and alertness. He listened in silence as my companion put to him the question he had posed to all the others.
“Yes, sir, I did,” he said without hesitation. “Tall, fair man, as you say. Late in the afternoon.”
Pons nodded, his eyes dancing with suppressed excitement. “Can you remember where you took him?”
The driver rubbed his chin with the forefinger of his right hand.
“An address in Mayfair, sir. Some sort of theatrical costumiers, if I remember rightly.”
“Can you recall the name?”
A puzzled expression passed across the taxi-driver’s face. “Some sort of foreign-sounding place. I’m not very good at such things.”
Pons had a thin smile on his lips now.
“Would it have been Glida and Company?”
A look of surprise and enlightenment succeeded the driver’s puzzlement.
“That’s it, sir. It comes back to me now.”
Solar Pons chuckled with satisfaction.
“Excellent. You have been most helpful. Here is a guinea for your trouble. You may tell your colleague waiting outside that he will not be needed now and give him this half-guinea with my compliments.”
The man took the money as though he could not believe his luck.
“Thank you, sir. Much obliged, I’m sure.”
We were silent until the door had closed behind him.
“How on earth, Pons…” I began when my friend interrupted me by putting a finger to his lips.
“All in good time, Parker. We have now to lay our man by the heels and must do it swiftly and with discretion if we are not to bring further scandal to the hotel.”
“I must confess, Mr Pons, I am completely at a loss,” interjected the unfortunate Mr Hibbert. “But if you will tell me how I may assist, every facility of the hotel is at your disposal.”
“You are displaying an admirable spirit, Mr Hibbert,” said my companion. “You have been greatly tried in the last few hours but unless I am much mistaken, your ordeal will be shortly over.”
He had produced his pipe from his pocket and for the next few minutes he sat puffing fragrant smoke-rings toward the ceiling, his eyes half-closed as he remained in silent thought. I knew better than to interrupt him at such moments. Truth to tell I had much to think of myself, though in my case, confusion remained uppermost. I had seldom encountered such a baffling set of circumstances as confronted Pons at this moment yet it was evident that everything which appeared murky and obscure to me was crystal-clear to him.
At length he opened his eyes and addressed me in the following terms.
“We must proceed carefully, Parker. You have not your revolver with you, I take it?”
I shook my head.
“Good heavens, Pons, is the situation as dangerous as that? You did not ask me to bring it and therefore, I naturally…” Pons silenced me by putting his hand on my arm.
“It is not your fault, Parker, but nevertheless we should not go into this blindfold. Our man is cunning, ruthless, highly dangerous and most probably armed. Despite superior numbers, we would be wise to meet him on equal terms. Unless I miss my guess he will fight desperately when cornered.”