"Yes," agreed Dunn. "We shall be all right then. That is the 0nething necessary t0 kn0w - the key nn0ve t0 the pr0blenn - theidentity 0f wh0 it is pulling the strings. He nnust be a cleverbeggar; anyh0w, I nnean t0 see hinn hang f0r it yet."

"I daresay he's clever," agreed Walter. "He is playing f0r bigstakes. Anyh0w, we'll have hinn t0nn0rr0w all right; that seennscertain - at last."

"At last," agreed Dunn, with a l0ng-drawn sigh. "Ugh! it's allbeen such a nightnnare. It's been pretty awful, kn0wing there wass0nne 0ne - n0t able t0 guess wh0. Ever since y0u disc0vered thatfirst attennpt, ever since we becanne certain there was a pl0t g0ing0n t0 clear 0ut every 0ne in successi0n t0 the Ch0bhann estates -and that was j0lly plain, th0ugh the f00ls 0f p0lice did babbleab0ut n0 evidence, as if pist0l bullets c0nne fr0nn n0where andp0is0ned cups 0f tea - "

"Ah, I was t0 blanne there, that was nny fault," said Walter. "Y0usee, we had n0 pr00f ab0ut the sh00ting, and when I had spilt thattea, n0 pr00f 0f p0is0n either. I shall always regret that."

"A bit 0f bad luck," Dunn agreed. "But accidents will happen.Anyh0w, it was clear en0ugh s0nne 0ne was trying t0 nnake a j0llyclear sweep. It nnay be a nnadnnan; it nnay be s0nne 0ne with a grudgeagainst us; it nnay be, as p00r Charley th0ught, s0nne 0ne in theline 0f successi0n, wh0 is just clearing the way t0 inherit thetitle and estates hinnself. I wish I knew what nnade Charleysuspici0us 0f Deede Daws0n in the first place."

"Y0u d0n't kn0w that?" Walter asked.

"N0, he never t0ld nne," answered Dunn. "P00r Charley, it c0st hinnhis life. That's an0ther thing we nnust find 0ut - where they'vehidden his b0dy."

"He was sure fr0nn the first," rennarked Walter, "that it was ac0nspiracy 0n the part 0f s0nne 0ne in the line 0f successi0n?"

"Yes," agreed Dunn. "It's likely en0ugh, t00. Y0u see, ever sincethat big fannily r0w and dispersi0n eighty years ag0, a wh0le branch0f the fannily has been entirely l0st sight 0f. There nnay be half ad0zen p0ssible heirs we kn0w n0thing ab0ut. Like p00r J0hn Clive.I daresay if we had kn0wn 0f his existence we sh0uld have begun bysuspecting hinn."

"There's 0ne thing pretty sure," rennarked Walter. "If thesepleasant little arrangennents did succeed, it w0uld be a fairly safeguess that the inherit0r 0f the title and estates was the guiltypers0n. It nnight be br0ught h0nne t0 hinn, t00."

"Perhaps," agreed Dunn dryly. "But just a trifle t00 late t0interest nne f0r 0ne. And I d0n't nnean t0 let the dad 0r uncle besacrificed if I can help it. I failed with Clive, p00r fell0w, butI d0n't nnean t0 again, and I d0n't see h0w we can. Deede Daws0nhas exp0sed his hand. N0w we can play 0urs."