"Yes. Main says that after the other two cabs drove away, he almost decided to go home himself as he despaired of getting a fare at so late an hour. However, on the chance he waited for twenty minutes or so, and his patience was rewarded shortly before one o'clock. A man and a woman came out of Mortality-lane, and got into the cab which drove off."
"Then it left just before our cabs came back?"
"No doubt; the assassins ran the thing very fine. Well the woman told Main to drive to Northumberland-avenue near the theatre. There the two alighted and dismissed the cab."
"What did they do next? I suppose Main noticed in which direction they went?"
"No, indeed," replied Mr. Torry with a vexed air. "He got his money and went straight home, leaving the man and woman standing on the pavement in front of the Avenue Theatre."
"What route did he take from Mortality-lane to Northumberland-avenue?"
"Down Arundel-street and along the Embankment," replied Torry promptly.
"I suppose," said Darrel reflectively, "that he did not notice any one near Cleopatra's Needle as he drove along?
"No, I asked him if he did, but he declared that he was too much taken up with managing his horse, which was rather unruly, to cast a look to right or left. He drove to his destination, then returned home by going up the Avenue."
"H'm!" said Torry dubiously, "not very clearly. The woman was tall, fair-haired, dressed in black and veiled. I know all that, as I have seen her dead body and dress. The man was not so tall as the woman, with a black beard, and wore a soft hat and a long overcoat almost to his heels. He was slender and silent, leaving the woman to give the directions and pay the fare."
"The man seemed more agitated than the woman."
"Perhaps he did; we have no evidence to shew who struck the blow. But who is Mr. Grent?"
"The dead man. He is, or rather was, Mr. Jesse Grent, the banker."
"Oh!" said Torry, rubbing his plump hands with much satisfaction "you have found out that much. This case is becoming important, for Mr. Jesse Grent is well known, I can tell you. He is very rich, very philanthropic, and two years ago stood for Parliament in the Conservative interest. Now I wonder what took so respectable a man into so disreputable a neighbourhood. In disguise, too. H'm, it looks queer. Mr. Grent is not so good as I thought him."