The only break in the chain of silence was when, in a few seconds, the clear treble of the telephone girl's voice came on at the exchange with her businesslike "Number please?"
Lazard pulled the instrument nearer to him.
"This is the Count Lazard speaking," he said suavely. "I'm sorry to trouble you, miss, but I think there must be something wrong with my telephone. Has anyone been trying to ring me up?"
"I couldn't remember offhand, sir, but I don't think so," replied the girl politely.
"Nobody has called me and failed to get through?"
"No, sir; not during the last hour, at least."
"Just one more question, miss. Could you tell me if there is a crossed wire on your switchboard-one which throws a connection across to my line from another exchange?"
"Just a moment, sir; I'll see." There was a few seconds' wait and then the girl said: "No, sir; your line is perfectly clear. It has been clear all morning, to the best of my knowledge. Would you care to make a formal complaint to the supervisor?"
"Oh, no. It's nothing important. Thank you," answered Lazard, and hung up his receiver.
He pushed the instrument away from him and regarded it with a glint of sour suspicion in his eyes.
Then, without a further word, he turned to the jeweller and said: "Yes. You were talking about Mr. Valmon Dain, the inventor, I think. You had got to the point when you recognized his picture in the morning papers. Was that Lyall's first proof that Dain is the man who has been playing the part of police spy all this time?"
"I believe so, sir. And you must understand me when I say he got very vicious over it. All his gang and half his best friends were in Dartmoor because of Valmon Dain. He had shopped 'em all. Knocked 'em over one after the other like a row of ninepins. And Mr. Lyall was Savage about it, because Dain knew that Lyall himself wasn't making his money on the straight."
"Dain knew?"
"Mr. Lyall got a queer telegram one morning-and a letter card, too. Anonymous they were, but it looked as though Dain was up to all Mr. Lyall's games just as he was up to everyone else's. And that's all I know about it. Mr. Lyall summed the whole thing up, just like you would do yourself."
"Yes; and then?"
"He went out to Hendon last night with some capsules in his pocket."
"H'm!" murmured the Count. "Murder-eh?"
"As cold as an icicle, Guv'nor. Looked as though he could have murdered half creation the way he was just then."
"Do you mean to tell me that Lyall was mad enough to let you know that he was setting out last night to murder Dain?"
"Well, someone had to fix him up an alibi. He couldn't do it himself, time was so short. I did that job for him. There were about thirty of us in on it-an alibi that would have defied twenty K.C.s to shift. He wanted me to do the job itself.
"But a man like Valmon Dain is too hot for me, and I told him so. He's cleared out. Went off on his motor-car. Can't you see his game, sir? He's going to run his little game as long as it pleases him at Kingsway. He's Mr. Landring Dent from now on. He won't be known by anybody there as anything else but Landring Dent-probably had an office there for years. He's as safe as a row of houses."
"Quite. That is obvious. And now might I ask why you should come to me in this matter?" Lazard was blandness itself; his voice seemed to purr at the jeweller.
"Well, Guv'nor, I heard this morning that you was the first of the whole crowd to suspect what was happening. You knew there was something very mysterious going on behind the scenes, but you didn't know who it was. Well, I've told you."
"I thank you for your information," said Lazard coldly.
"I did not credit you with such subtlety of thought. Now you had better go. Any further knowledge I require on this matter I will get myself. How long can you remain in hiding?"
"About a year, Guv'nor. I got away with enough to last me."
"Very well. Get clear while you can. Don't come out of your retreat until I send for you. If I do, come quickly. Kingsway, you said?"
"Yes, sir -Denbigh House."
"Thank you. Don't communicate with any of your friends about this visit here. So far as you are concerned you have never seen me in your life. But for your own peace of mind I will tell you that you have nothing to fear. Don't get nervous, or give way to sudden panic-there is not the slightest need for you to try to square your conscience with the authorities. This menace that hangs over your head will be removed before tonight has sped. I myself will pay a visit to Denbigh House tonight. Console yourself with the thought that Valmon Dain will be dead before dawn."
Valmon Dain pulled off his headphones to ease the strain on his ears. He smiled, but it was not a happy smile. The feared blow had fallen. The portents boded I'll for him if Lazard took up the offensive. The Count was an aristocrat of cunning as well as holding unchallenged sovereignty over the underworld. He would probably come to Kingsway surrounded with safeguards; and the type that bore allegiance to him were of that mental Calibre which regards the snuffing out of a life as something less than treading on a smouldering cigarette end.
On the other hand, he might come there in the bold guise of the lone adventurer, a courageous spirit relying openly on his own swordsmanship. In that case it would be a grim battle. A play-off of brain against brain, with life as the stakes and death the I.O.U of the loser.