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CHAPTER XXII. IN DOWNING STREET

THE Prime Minister tapped the desk in front of him with nervous fingers. His face

was worn and harassed. He took up his conversation with Mr. Carter at the point

it had broken off. "I don't understand," he said. "Do you really mean that things

are not so desperate after all?"

So this lad seems to think."

Let's have a look at his letter again."

Mr. Carter handed it over. It was written in a sprawling boyish hand.

DEAR MR. CARTER,

"Something's turned up that has given me a jar. Of course I may be simply

making an awful ass of myself, but I don't think so. If my conclusions are right,

that girl at Manchester was just a plant. The whole thing was prearranged, sham

packet and all, with the object of making us think the game was up--therefore I

fancy that we must have been pretty hot on the scent.

"I think I know who the real Jane Finn is, and I've even got an idea where the

papers are. That last's only a guess, of course, but I've a sort of feeling it'll turn

out right. Anyhow, I enclose it in a sealed envelope for what it's worth. I'm going

to ask you not to open it until the very last moment, midnight on the 28th, in

fact. You'll understand why in a minute. You see, I've figured it out that those

things of Tuppence's are a plant too, and she's no more drowned than I am. The

way I reason is this: as a last chance they'll let Jane Finn escape in the hope that

she's been shamming this memory stunt, and that once she thinks she's free

she'll go right away to the cache. Of course it's an awful risk for them to take,

because she knows all about them--but they're pretty desperate to get hold of

that treaty. BUT IF THEY KNOW THAT THE PAPERS HAVE BEEN RECOVERED

BY US, neither of those two girls' lives will be worth an hour's purchase. I must

try and get hold of Tuppence before Jane escapes.

"I want a repeat of that telegram that was sent to Tuppence at the Ritz. Sir James

Peel Edgerton said you would be able to manage that for me. He's frightfully

clever.

"One last thing--please have that house in Soho watched day and night.

201

The Secret Adversary