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At half-past seven that evening Starmidge and Easleby stepped out of a London express at Ecclesborough, and walked out to the front of the station to get a taxi-cab for Scarnham. The newsboys were rushing across the station square with the latest editions of the evening papers, and Starmidge's quick ear caught the meaning of their unfamiliar North-country shoutings.
"And what's to be done, now? That woman's conduct is very suspicious. I think, if I were you, Mr. Polke, I should get in touch with the Ecclesborough police. Why not? No harm done. Why not call them up, give them a description of her, and ask them to keep their eyes open. She mayn't have left Ecclesborough mayn't intend leaving.
But presently, when they were in a fast motor and leaving the Ecclesborough streets behind them, he shook his head, and spoke more gravely than was usual with him. "The big question, my lad," he said, "is what to do? And there's another what's been done and possibly, what's being done? It's my impression something's being done now still going on!"
The man with whom he held conversation calmly remarked that as each station at Ecclesborough dealt with a few thousands of separate individuals every day, it was not very likely that booking-clerks or platform officials would remember any particular persons, and Polke sorrowfully agreed with him.
With that the senior partner passed on, and Starmidge smiled at his companion. "I'm glad he interrupted you, all the same, Mr. Polke," he said. "I was afraid you were going to say that you knew this woman had gone, in a hurry, to Ecclesborough." "No, I wasn't," replied Polke. "I told him what I did because I wanted to know what he'd say." "Well you heard!" said Starmidge.
And mark you! after a few minutes' conversation with Joseph Chestermarke. Ecclesborough, indeed! Might as well look for a drop of water in the ocean as for one woman in Ecclesborough! She was set down at the Exchange Station why, she may be half-way to London or Liverpool, or Hull, by now!" Starmidge was listening intently.
"Did you manage to find out where he booked for!" demanded Starmidge. "Ecclesborough," answered Gandam. "Heard him! I was close behind." "He was alone, I suppose?" asked Starmidge. "Alone all the time, Mr. Starmidge," assented Gandam. "Never saw a sign of the other party." Starmidge rejoined Easleby.
And in Ecclesborough, too! a place with a population of half a million, where there were three big railway stations, from any one of which a fugitive could set off east, west, north, south, at pleasure, and with no risk of attracting attention. Two hours! Polke knew from long experience what can be done in two hours by a criminal escaping from justice.
"She'll be on her way further afield, now. You can get anywhere from Ecclesborough, of course." "Of course!" assented Polke. "She would be in any one of half a dozen big towns within a couple of hours in some of 'em within an hour in London itself within three. This'll be another case of printing a description. I wish we'd thought of keeping an eye on her before!"
Why had she taken a taxi-cab for an eighteen-miles' ride, at considerable expense, when, at twelve o'clock, she could have got a train which would have carried her to Ecclesborough for fifteen pence? It seemed as if she had fled. And if she had fled, she had got, as the constable said, two hours' good start.
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