"And--he may have disappeared during the night. He----"
But just then Prydale came in, shaking his head.
"I'm afraid he's off!" he announced. "I'd a man watching for him outside
his lodgings from an early hour this morning, but he never came out, and
finally my man made an excuse and asked for him there, and then he heard
that he'd never been home last night. And his office is closed."
"What steps are you taking?" asked Byner.
"I've got men all over the place already," replied Prydale. "But--if he
got off in the night, as I'm afraid he did, we shan't find him in
Barford. It's a most unlucky thing that he saw us go to Murgatroyd's
last evening! That, of course, would set him off: he'd know things were
reaching a crisis."
Eldrick and Collingwood had arranged to lunch together that day, and
they presently went off, asking the detective to keep them informed of
events. But up to half-past three o 'clock they heard no more--then, as
they were returning along the street Byner came running up to them.
"Prydale's just had a telephone message from the butler at Normandale!"
he exclaimed. "Pratt is there!--and something extraordinary is going on:
the butler wants the police. We're off at once--there's Prydale in a
motor, waiting for me. Will you follow?"
He darted away again, and Eldrick looking round for a car, suddenly
recognized the Mallathorpe livery.
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