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The birds have flown--as we thought. We might as well go over it."

Going over the deserted house seemed to Tommy to partake of the character of a

dream. Everything was just as it had been. The prison room with the crooked

pictures, the broken jug in the attic, the meeting room with its long table. But

nowhere was there a trace of papers. Everything of that kind had either been

destroyed or taken away. And there was no sign of Annette.

"What you tell me about the girl puzzled me," said Mr. Carter. "You believe that

she deliberately went back?"

It would seem so, sir. She ran upstairs while I was getting the door open."

H'm, she must belong to the gang, then; but, being a woman, didn't feel like

standing by to see a personable young man killed. But evidently she's in with

them, or she wouldn't have gone back."

"I can't believe she's really one of them, sir. She--seemed so different----"

Good-looking, I suppose?" said Mr. Carter with a smile that made Tommy flush

to the roots of his hair. He admitted Annette's beauty rather shamefacedly.

"By the way," observed Mr. Carter, "have you shown yourself to Miss Tuppence

yet? She's been bombarding me with letters about you."

Tuppence? I was afraid she might get a bit rattled. Did she go to the police?"

Mr. Carter shook his head.

Then I wonder how they twigged me."

Mr. Carter looked inquiringly at him, and Tommy explained. The other nodded

thoughtfully.

True, that's rather a curious point. Unless the mention of the Ritz was an

accidental remark?"

"It might have been, sir. But they must have found out about me suddenly in

some way."

Well," said Mr. Carter, looking round him, "there's nothing more to be done here.

The Secret Adversary