“The tenancy agreement will be in the office, I suppose?”

Harper appeared to hesitate. “Yes—I suppose so,” he said. “It should be, at any rate.”

“You’ve given a very good description of a man you only saw once,” Mallett pursued. “Had you any particular reason for remembering him?”

“No—I don’t think so. Except of course a beard is a bit unusual.”

“Quite. Would you know him again if you were to see him?”

“I think so—only there’s the beard again. I’m not sure if I should know him without that.”

The inspector nodded thoughtfully.

“Was he alone in the house, do you know?” he asked. “It seems a biggish place for one man to take.”

“So far as I know he was.”

“What about servants?”

“He said he would want a man to come in by the day. I engaged one for him.”

“What is his name?”

“Crabtree—Richard Crabtree. He lives in the Terrace, just round the corner. No. 14.”

“Thank you,” said Mallett, making a note of the address. “Now about this inventory. Is there anything missing from the house?”

“No—nothing of any consequence.”

“Anything may be of consequence in a case like this,” said Mallett severely. “You had better leave the list with me for reference. Is there anything here that isn’t on it?”

“Only the linen and cutlery which James brought in with him.”

“That may be important. Where did it come from?”

“I ordered it myself for him from the stores near our office, and he gave me the money when he called to sign the agreement.”

“Rather an unusual transaction for a house agent to do, wasn’t it?”

“Yes, I suppose it was,” admitted Harper. “But he asked me to do it, and I didn’t think of it at the time.”

“I see.” Mallett went to the door. The interview was evidently at an end, and Harper rose to go. But the detective stopped him.

“Just one more question,” he said. “Have you ever seen Ballantine before?”

“No.”

“Then what exactly was it that made you stare at him in the way you did just now?”

“Exactly what I told you,” answered Harper coldly.

“No more than that?”

“No.”

The inspector shrugged his shoulders. “Very well. I shall keep in touch with you and let you know when you are wanted again. Good day.”