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“The question is, Sir Ronald,” said McNeill, “e pull in and when?”

“There’s a round dozen or so we could pull in,” said Comstock “The Harris lot are mixed-up in it, we know that There’s a nice little pocket down Luton way There’s a garage at Epsom, there’s a pub near Maidenhead, and there’s a farm on the Great North Road”

“Any of the in?”

“I don’t think so Small-fry all of them Links Just links here and there in the chain A spot where cars are converted, and turned over quickly; a respectable pub where et passed; a secondhand clothes shop where appearance can be altered, a theatrical costumier in the East End, also very useful They’re paid, these people Quite well paid but they don’t really know anything!”

The dreaain:

“We’re up against soot near them yet We know some of their affiliations and that’s all As I say, the Harris crowd are in it and Marks is in on the financial end The foreign contacts are in touch with Weber but he’s only an agent We’ve nothing actually on any of these people We know that they all have ways ofcontact with each other, and with the different branches of the concern, but we don’t know exactly how they do it We watch the thee What ant to get at is the planners”

Comstock said:

“It’s like a giant network I agree that there must be an operational headquarters somewhere A place where each operation is planned and detailed and dovetailed completely So blueprint of Operation Mailbag or Operation Payroll Those are the people we’re out to get”

“Possibly they are not even in this country,” said Father quietly

“No, I dare say that’s true Perhaps they’re in an igloo somewhere, or in a tent in Morocco or in a chalet in Switzerland”

“I don’t believe in thesehis head: “they sound all right in a story There’s got to be a head, of course, but I don’t believe in a Master Criminal I’d say there was a very clever little Board of Directors behind this Centrally planned, with a Chair their technique all the time All the same—”

“Yes?” said Sir Ronald encouragingly

“Even in a right tight little team, there are probably expendables What I call the Russian Sledge principle Fro hot on the scent, they throw off one of them, the one they think they can best afford”

“Would they dare to do that? Wouldn’t it be rather risky?”

“I’d say it could be done in such a way that whoever it ouldn’t even know he had been pushed off the sledge He’d just think he’d fallen off He’d keep quiet because he’d think it orth his while to keep quiet So it would be, of course They’ve got plenty of enerous Faot one, whilst he’s in prison Possibly an escape engineered”

“There’s been too much of that,” said Comstock

“I think, you know,” said Sir Ronald, “that it’s not ain We always say ”

McNeill laughed

“What is it you really wanted us for, sir?”

“Well—” Sir Ronald thought a s,” he said slowly “We’re agreed on our ht be profitable to have a look around for sos that don’t matter much, that are just a bit out of the usual run It’s hard to explain what I o in the Culver case An ink stain Do you remember? An ink stain round a mouse hole Nohy on earth should a man empty a bottle of ink into a et at the answer But e did hit on the answer, it led so about Odd things Don’tthat strikes you as a bit out of the usual Petty if you like, but irritating, because it doesn’t quite fit in I see Father’s nodding his head”

“Couldn’t agree with you more,” said Chief-Inspector Davy “Co Even if it’s only aa funny hat”

There was no immediate response Everyone looked a little uncertain and doubtful

“Come on,” said Father “I’ll stick my neck out first It’s just a funny story, really, but you ht as well have it for what it’s worth The London and Metropolitan Bank holdup Carmolly Street Branch Remember it? A whole list of car numbers and car colours and makes We appealed to people to come forward and they responded—how they responded! About a hundred and fifty pieces ofinformation! Got it sorted out in the end to about seven cars that had been seen in the neighbourhood, anyone of which ht have been concerned in the robbery”

“Yes,” said Sir Ronald, “go on”

“There were one or te couldn’t get tags on Looked as though the nu out of the way in that It’s often done Most of the up one instance Morris Oxford, black saloon, number CMG 265, reported by a probation officer He said it was being driven by Mr Justice Ludgrove”

He looked round They were listening to him, but without any manifest interest

“I know,” he said, “wrong as usual Mr Justice Ludgrove is a rather noticeable old boy, ugly as sin for one thing Well, it wasn’t Mr Justice Ludgrove because at that exact tiot a Morris Oxford, but its nuht So there’s no point in it, you’ll say But do you knohat the nuh, eh? Just the sort ofto remember a car number”

“I’m sorry,” said Sir Ronald, “I don’t quite see—”