From what I could gather, sir, the two ladies had bin puttin' their heads together, and agreed that this Chinese business has a nasty look, an' you'd better keep out of it." "What Chinese business, Bates ?" "Well, sir, Miss Beale will 'ave it that Mrs.Lester was killed by a Chinaman, an' one of the police on duty in this district told me a little while ago that he saw no less than three Chinamen prowlin' round here last Monday between dusk and dark." Theydon drew a deep breath.

If there was gossip going on about "Chinamen" in connection with the murder in No.

17 the newspapers would soon be getting hold of it.

The arrest of Len Shi by Furneaux must be reported.

Possibly some newspaper correspondent in Eastbourne would hear of the kidnaping exploit, and describe the Eastern aspect of its chief actor, Mrs.Forbes's name would "transpire" in the paragraph, and, by putting two and two together the lynx-eyed journalism of London would ferret out a good deal of the truth.
"Ladies very often talk nonsense about such things," he said sharply.
"Why should any Chinaman single out poor Mrs.Lester as a victim?
I think the inquiry may be left safely to Scotland Yard.