With a silent gesture Mitchington beckoned the whole party into an empty waiting-room and closed its door on them.
"Now then, inspector," said Ransford without preface or ceremony, "you've got to act quickly! You got my wire--a few words will explain it.

I went up to town this morning in answer to a message from the bank where Braden lodged his money when he returned to England.

To tell you the truth, the managers there and myself have, since Braden's death, been carrying to a conclusion an investigation which I began on Braden's behalf--though he never knew of it--years ago.

At the bank I met Mr.
Harker here, who had called to find something out for himself.

Now I'll sum things up in a nutshell: for years Braden, or Brake, had been wanting to find two men who cheated him.