"It's as if one were waiting for an explosion to take place!" he muttered
to Purdie. "Even now I don't know what's going to happen."
"Here's Ayscough, anyway," said Purdie. "He looks as if nothing was about
to happen."
Ayscough, another man with him, was making his way unconcernedly down the
shop. He passed the man from New Scotland Yard without so much as a wink:
he ignored Levendale and Stephen Purvis; he stared blankly at Purdie and
Lauriston, and led his companion to two vacant seats near the counter. And
they had only just dropped into them when in came Mr. Killick, with John
Purvis and Guyler and slipped quietly into seats in the middle of the
room. Here then, said Lauriston to himself, were eleven men, all in a
secret--and there were doubtless others amongst the company whom he did
not know.
"But where's Melky Rubinstein?" he whispered suddenly. "I should have
thought he'd have turned up--he's been so keen on finding things out."
"There's time enough yet," answered Purdie. "It's not one. I don't see the
Jap, either. But--here's the Inspector--done up in plain clothes."
The Inspector came in with a man whom neither Purdie nor Lauriston had
ever seen before--a quietly but well-dressed man about whom there was a
distinct air of authority.
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