“Denis Riordan.”
“Eh?” said Tommy staring.
“It’s just as you said. One simple innocent remark! Find me all this week’s Daily Leader s.”
“What are you up to?”
“I’m being McCarty. I’ve been worrying round, and thanks to you, I’ve got a notion at last. This is the front sheet of Tuesday’s paper. I seem to remember that Tuesday’s paper was the one with two dots in the L of Leader . This has a dot in the D of Daily —and one in the L too. Get me the papers and let’s make sure.”
They compared them anxiously. Tuppence had been quite right in her remembrance.
“You see? This fragment wasn’t torn from Tuesday’s paper.”
“But Tuppence, we can’t be sure. It may merely be different editions.”
“It may—but at any rate it’s given me an idea. It can’t be coincidence—that’s certain. There’s only one thing it can be if I’m right in my idea.
Ring up Sir Arthur, Tommy. Ask him to come round here at once. Say I’ve got important news for him. Then get hold of Marriot. Scotland Yard will know his address if he’s gone home.”
Sir Arthur Merivale, very much intrigued by the summons, arrived at the flat in about half an hour’s time. Tuppence came forward to greet him.
“I must apologise for sending for you in such a peremptory fashion,” she said. “But my husband and I have discovered something that we think you ought to know at once. Do sit down.”
Sir Arthur sat down, and Tuppence went on.