The Turn of the Tide by Fred M. White — Read

Inspector Lock sat in his office a day or two later going over his facts and putting them into logical order. So far as he could see there was nothing wanting now, and he was in a position at any moment to make an important arrest. At the same time he much preferred, if possible, to take Gilmour red-handed, and for that purpose he had laid his plans accordingly. He had the man called Pensum and the other confederate Airey by the heels, and it seemed to him just possible that these two arrests might arouse Gilmour's suspicions and prevent him from going any further, at any rate for the present. Pensum he would have to detain in any case, but Airey had been arrested merely on suspicion, without any definite charge against him, and he had been released on his own recognizances with an intimation that he might or might not be wanted again. At the same time he had been warned, and Lock knew from his subordinates that Airey had made no attempt so far to communicate with Gilmour. Moreover, Gilmour had been away for a day or two on business in the North of England, a fact that suited Lock admirably, for it allowed him to make certain investigations without the fear of Gilmour getting to hear about them. He would therefore know exactly what to do when the time came, but the time was not quite yet. He had waited until Gilmour got back to London again before attempting further developments.

What he particularly wanted to do, of course, was to bring Croot within the sweep of his net. But so far there was nothing definite against him, who doubtless had taken every precaution to keep himself outside the shady business, though Lock did not doubt for a moment that Croot was the brains of the whole concern. It seemed impossible to believe that he could know nothing about the underground passage and the small lake under Crombies Wharf where the motor-boat was hidden, but while it was easy enough to suspect this, to prove the matter was a different thing altogether. No doubt, if Gilmour was arrested, Croot would be the very first to express his astonishment and indignation at the way in which his manager had used the premises in Great Bower Street for the purpose of those audacious robberies. Nor did Lock doubt that Croot and Gilmour were working on sharing terms. He felt certain that Gilmour would take his punishment without saying a word, and that when he had served his sentence he would get away with his share of the plunder, which was the very last thing that Lock wanted. He was not going to be satisfied until he could bring home the robberies to both of them. There was no hurry, and he was going to wait patiently enough until chance threw the proper opportunity into his way.