Page:The Viaduct Murder (1926).pdf/67

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ON THE RAILWAY
53

You're not known, you see⁠—but be devilish tactful; we don't want to put anybody on his guard."

"Right-o! more lying necessary, I foresee. Oh, what a tangled web we weave when first we practise to deceive. So long, Sherlock, meet you at dinner."

Reeves' errand, it appeared when he got to Binver, was once more with the railway staff. He went up to a porter, and said, "Excuse me, does this train get cleared out here? I mean, if one leaves a thing in the carriage, would it be taken out here?"

"That's right, sir. Left Luggage Office is what you want."

"Well, this was only a paper book. I thought perhaps you people cleared them away for yourselves, like the newspapers."

"Ah, if it was a paper book, we 'aven't any orders to take that on to the Left Luggage Office. We takes those away, mostly; what might the name of your book be, sir?"

This was not at all the question Reeves wanted, but he was prepared for it. "It was The Sorrows of Satan, by Miss Corelli," he said. "I left it in one of these carriages yesterday."

"Well, sir, I cleaned out this train yesterday myself, and there wasn't no book of that name. A passenger must have taken it out with them most likely. There wasn't not but one book I found in those carriages, and you're welcome to that, sir; I've got it on the seat there." And he produced a

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