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Updated: May 14, 2025
He wires to that gentleman to meet him at Miss Rider's flat, relying upon the magic of the name." "And Thornton Lyne comes in list slippers," said Tarling sarcastically. "That doesn't wash, Whiteside." "No, it doesn't," admitted the other. "But I'm getting at the broad aspects of the case. Lyne comes.
"Yes," he said, "by the greatest of luck I've got hold of a very curious story. I was chatting with some of the ticket collectors and trying to discover a man who might have seen the girl I have a photograph of her taken in a group of Stores employees, and this I have had enlarged, as it may be very useful." Tarling nodded.
Milburgh to come to me in the board-room, please," he said. Then he went back to his visitor. "That matter of Milburgh can wait," he said. "I'm not so sure that I shall proceed any farther with it. Did you make inquiries at all? If so, you had better tell me the gist of them before Milburgh comes." Tarling took a small white card from his pocket and glanced at it.
"Open the gate," said Tarling briefly. "Excuse me while I go and get the key," said Milburgh. "I didn't expect visitors at this hour of the night." He went into the house, took a good look round his room, and then reappeared, taking the key from the pocket of his dressing-gown. It had been there all the time, if the truth be told, but Mr. Milburgh was a cautious man and took few risks.
Tarling was going, when the man detained him with a remark which switched his mind back to the murder and filled him with a momentary sense of hopeless dismay. "I'm rather glad Miss Rider didn't happen to be in last night, sir," he said. "Some of the tenants upstairs were making complaints." "Complaints about what?" asked Tarling, and the man hesitated.
Again Milburgh hesitated, and seemed reluctant to reply. "I am, of course, in control," he said, "as I was when Mr. Lyne took his trip around the world. I have received authority also from Mr. Lyne's solicitors to continue the direction of the business until the Court appoints a trustee." Tarling eyed him narrowly. "What effect has this murder had upon you personally?" he asked bluntly.
"I accuse you of nothing more than this," said Tarling, "that I am perfectly satisfied that you have been robbing the firm for years. I am equally satisfied that, even if you did not kill Mr. Lyne, you at least know who did." "You're mad," sneered Milburgh, but his face was white. "Supposing it were true that I had robbed the firm, why should I want to kill Mr. Thornton Lyne?
Whiteside was at Scotland Yard before him, and when Tarling walked into his room was curiously examining an object which lay before him on a sheet of paper. It was a short-barrelled automatic pistol. "Hullo!" he said, interested. "Is that the gun that killed Thornton Lyne?" "That's the weapon," said the cheerful Whiteside. "An ugly-looking brute, isn't it?" "Where did you say it was discovered?"
You told me to trail you, but when I had seen you on your way I left you and went to the big shop." "To the big shop?" said Tarling in surprise. "But Lyne did not live in his stores!" "So I discovered," said Ling Chu simply. "I thought in such a large house he would have built himself a beautiful room. In China many masters live in their shops. So I went to the big store to search it."
They don't call in private detectives in this country." Ling shook his head. "But the master must find murderers, or he will no longer be Lieh Jen, the Hunter of Men." "You're a bloodthirsty soul, Ling," said Tarling, this time in English, which Ling imperfectly understood, despite the sustained efforts of eminent missionary schools. "Now I'll go out," he said with sudden resolution.
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