Gabriel looked up from his paper, and slowly eyed his questioner.
"What we propose to do is a matter for ourselves," he answered coldly. "For no one else."
Starmidge bowed and turned away, and Polke, after hesitating a moment, said good-morning and followed him from the room. The two men nodded to Neale and went out into the Market-Place.
"Well?" said Polke.
"Queer couple!" remarked Starmidge.
Polke jerked his thumb at the poster in the bank window.
"Of course!" he said, "so long as they can satisfy their customers that all's right so far as they're concerned, we can't get at what is missing that belongs to the Chestermarkes."
"There are ways of finding that out," replied Starmidge quietly.
"What ways, now?" asked Polke. "We can't make 'em tell us their private affairs. Supposing Horbury has robbed them, they aren't forced to tell us how much or how little he's robbed 'em of!"
"All in good time," remarked the detective. "We're only beginning. Let's go and talk to this Miss Fosdyke a bit. She doesn't mind what money she spends on this business, you say?"
"Not if it costs her her last penny!" answered Polke.
"All right," said Starmidge. "Fosdyke's Entire represents a lot of pennies. We'll just have a word or two with her."
Betty, looking out of her window on the Market-
