information satisfy me--I have only to look up that number in our books to learn for whom this shirt was made."
"Then you had better do so at once, Mr. Harcot; for thereby you may be able to capture a criminal."
The tradesman looked amazed. "Capture a criminal?" he repeated.
"Yes. On Sunday morning last, after one o'clock, the man to whom that shirt belonged was murdered."
"Murdered, sir!"
"Yes; stabbed to the heart in Mortality-lane."
"Dear, dear!" cried Mr. Harcot in much agitation. "You don't say so! I noticed an account of the tragedy in the Star--an early issue, Mr. Darrel, published at two o'clock; but I did not think that a customer of ours was the victim. How very dreadful! Who is the unfortunate gentleman?"
"That is what I wish you to tell me, Mr. Harcot."
"With pleasure, with pleasure; but if you will excuse my saying so, sir, I did not know that you were an officer of the law."
"Nor am I," rejoined Darrel drily. "I am a novelist; but the detective in charge of this case has permitted me to assist him."
"Oh, indeed, sir," replied Mr. Harcot, considerably astonished. "If you will permit me, sir, I will look up our books."
Washing his hands with invisible soap, and bowing politely, Mr. Harcot vanished, leaving Darrel to his own thoughts. In about ten minutes he returned, looking very pale and concerned. Frank was a trifle surprised at this agitation.
"Dear, dear!" gasped the man, sitting down with an air of consternation. "I am shocked, really. Such a respectable gentleman! so old a customer!"
"What is the name?" cried Darrel anxiously.
"Grent, sir; Jesse Grent, of Wray House, Wraybridge."
"Grent--Grent!" muttered Darrel thoughtfully. "I seem to know the name."
"Everybody does, Mr. Darrel. Grent and Leighbourne, of Fleet-street."
"What! the bankers?"
"Yes, sir, yes. Mr. Jesse Grent was the head of the firm and now he is an angel. I hope so, for he was a good man, sir, who paid his bills most regul----"
"Thank you, Mr. Harcot," said Frank, cutting short these lamentations, which were a trifle mercenary. "You have told me all I wish to know. Mr. Jesse Grent, banker. H'm!--so he was the red-haired man."
Mr. Harcot was about to protest that the late Mr. Grent had white hair, but that Frank, with a curt nod, walked smartly out of the shop. Whereupon Harcot senior went to inform Harcot junior of the loss of a good customer, and to suggest an immediate sending in of the bill to the executors.
It was now too late to call at Torry's private office, as it was long after six o'clock before Frank terminated his inquiries; so he went back to his rooms and pondered over his discovery. He had heard of Mr. Grent, who was a rich banker and much respected. That he should be found dead in a disreputable neighborhood, in disguise, added to the mystery of the case. Frank thought over the matter all night, until his brain was on fire; and he was glad when the morning came that he could see Torry. Just as he was considering the advisability of paying a visit, the detective himself made his appearance and looked considerably disturbed.
"I say, Mr. Darrel," he burst out, "there are two murderers!"
"Two!"
"Yes--a man and a woman!"
CHAPTER V.
"DE MORTUIS NIL NISI BONUM"
"A man and a woman!" repeated Darrel thoughtfully. "Who told you that, Mr. Torry?"
"The third, cabman," replied the detective. "Main is his name. I found him along with Henry and Bike on the cab-stand near Mortality-lane."
"Had you any difficulty in making him speak?"
"No, not the least. He was quite willing to give information and assist the police in every way. Why do you suggest a difficulty?"
"Why," said Darrel, "if this man and woman were actually the assassins it is possible they might have bribed Main to silence."
"And hereby roused his suspicions," retorted Torry sharply. "Nothing of the sort. Main did not know what lay down the lane, so there was no need for the pair to purchase his silence."
"They came out of Mortality-lane?"
"Yes. Main says that after the other two cabs drove away, he almost decided to go home himself as he despaired of getting a fare at so late an hour. However, on the chance he waited for twenty minutes or so, and his patience was rewarded shortly before one o'clock. A man and a woman came out of Mortality-lane, and got into the cab which drove off."
"Then it left just before our cabs came back?"
"No doubt; the assassins ran the thing very fine. Well the woman told Main to drive to Northumberland-avenue near the theatre. There the two alighted and dismissed the cab."
"What did they do next? I suppose Main noticed in which direction they went?"
"No, indeed," replied Mr. Torry with a vexed air."He got his money and went straight home, leaving the man and woman standing on the pavement in front of the Avenue Theatre."
"What route did he take from Mortality-lane to Northumberland-avenue?"
"Down Arundel-street and along the Embankment," replied Torry promptly.
"I suppose," said Darrel reflectively, "that he did not notice any one near Cleopatra's Needle as he drove along?
"No, I asked him if he did, but he declared that he was too much taken up with managing his horse, which was rather unruly, to cast a look to right or left. He drove to his destination, then returned home by going up the Avenue."
"Can he describe the pair?"
"H'm!" said Torry dubiously, "not very clearly. The woman was tall, fair-haired, dressed in black and veiled. I know all that, as I have seen her dead body and dress. The man was not so tall as the woman, with a black beard, and wore a soft hat and a long overcoat almost to his heels. He was slender and silent, leaving the woman to give the directions and pay the fare."
"Were they agitated?"
"The man seemed more agitated than the woman."
"Perhaps he killed Mr. Grent."
"Perhaps he did; we have no evidence to shew who struck the blow. But who is Mr. Grent?"
"The dead man. He is, or rather was, Mr. Jesse Grent, the banker."
"Oh!" said Torry, rubbing his plump hands with much satisfaction "you have found out that much. This case is becoming important, for Mr. Jesse Grent is well known, I can tell you. He is very rich, very philanthropic, and two years ago stood for Parliament in the Conservative interest. Now I
