Then Hanaud lit another cigarette.
Mr. Ricardo, on the other hand, could hardly continue to smoke for
excitement.
"I cannot understand your calmness," he exclaimed.
"No?" said Hanaud. "Yet it is so obvious. You are the amateur, I
am the professional--that is all."
He looked at his watch and rose to his feet.
"I must go" he said and as he turned towards the door a cry sprang
from Mr. Ricardo's lips "It is true. I am the amateur. Yet I have
knowledge, Monsieur Hanaud which the professional would do well to
obtain."
Hanaud turned a guarded face towards Ricardo. There was no longer
any raillery in his manner. He spoke slowly, coldly.
"Let me have it then!"
"I have driven in my motor-car from Geneva to Aix," Ricardo cried
excitedly. "A bridge crosses a ravine high up amongst the
mountains. At the bridge there is a Custom House. There--at the
Pont de la Caille--your car is stopped. It is searched. You must
sign your name in a book. And there is no way round. You would
find sure and certain proof whether or no Madame Dauvray's car
travelled last night to Geneva. Not so many travellers pass along
that road at night. You would find certain proof too of how many
people were in the car. For they search carefully at the Pont de
la Caille."
A dark flush overspread Hanaud's face. Ricardo was in the seventh
Heaven. He had at last contributed something to the history of
this crime. He had repaired an omission. He had supplied knowledge
to the omniscient. Wethermill looked up drearily like one who has
lost heart.
"Yes, you must not neglect that clue," he said.
Hanaud replied testily: "It is not a clue. M. Ricardo tells that he travelled from Geneva
into France and that his car was searched. Well, we know already
that the officers are particular at the Custom Houses of France.
But travelling from France into Switzerland is a very different
affair. In Switzerland, hardly a glance, hardly a word." That was
true. M. Ricardo crestfallen recognized the truth. But his spirits
rose again at once. "But the car came back from Geneva into
France!" he cried.
"Yes, but when the car came back, the man was alone in it," Hanaud
answered. "I have more important things to attend to. For instance
I must know whether by any chance they have caught our man at
Marseilles." He laid his hand on Wethermill's shoulder. "And you,
my friend, I should counsel you to get some sleep. We may need all
our strength tomorrow. I hope so." He was speaking very bravely.
"Yes, I hope so."
Wethermill nodded.
"I shall try," he said.
"That's better," said Hanaud cheerfully. "You will both stay here
this evening; for if I have news, I can then ring you up."