“Blackmail!” I exclaimed, very much startled.

 

“Is it an effort of Parker’s imagination? Or is there something in it?”

 

“If Parker heard anything about blackmail,” I said slowly, “he must have been

listening outside this door with his ear glued against the keyhole.”

 

Davis nodded.

 

“Nothing more likely. You see, I’ve been instituting a few inquiries as to what

Parker has been doing with himself this evening. To tell the truth, I didn’t

like his manner. The man knows something. When I began to question him, he got

the wind up, and plumped out some garbled story of blackmail.”

 

I took an instant decision.

 

“I’m rather glad you’ve brought the matter up,” I said. “I’ve been trying to

decide whether to make a clean breast of things or not. I’d already practically

decided to tell you everything, but I was going to wait for a favorable

opportunity. You might as well have it now.”

 

And then and there I narrated the whole events of the evening as I have set them

down here. The inspector listened keenly, occasionally interjecting a question.

 

“Most extraordinary story I ever heard,” he said, when I had finished. “And you