had no proof against him and I asked him whether it would be possible to have observation kept on Bigaudâs shop. He replied that this would be difficult unless we could undertake to inform the French police before Graves arrived in Paris. If we did that he would undertake to keep him under observation and enter Bigaudâs shop as soon as Graves was seen to go in. It might even be possible to stop the transaction of selling property stolen in England. For this reason I suggest that it would be unwise to do anything that would debar Graves from re-entering France.
âI told M. Verneuil that my real object in coming to Paris was to get information about the friends and associates of Margaret Gask. I had already established the fact that Arthur Graves was one of them. I asked him whether he could arrange confidentially with M. Henri to give me a private interview at which perhaps one of his agents might be present. He said that this would be quite easy and while we were discussing the question the telephone bell rang. The message was from M. Henri himself, requesting an interview with M. Verneuil. It was arranged that if he would come at once to the Grand Palais he could see not only M. Verneuil but a detective from London.
âWhen M. Henri was announced I noted to my surprise that he was followed into the room by Mlle Pauline Coulon, to whom I referred in my last report as being one of the guests at Scudamore Hall. She was quick to notice my surprise. She smiled and said, âI must explain my little deception, monsieur.â She went on to say that in reality she was a private enquiry agent in Paris; that she had for some time been employed by M. Henri to report upon the frequent thefts that had been perpetrated in his establishment. She had had occasion to suspect Margaret Gask but had been unable to bring any specific case against her for lack of proof.
âWith the Frenchmanâs frankness in such matters M. Henri broke in here to say that Miss Gask was a very beautiful woman and he had for a time allowed his heart to rule his head.
âI said that I was employed in hunting down the assassin of Miss Gask and that I had come to Paris to ascertain who were her friends and associates. I then showed M. Henri the platinum setting of the clip from which all the stones had been prised out. He recognized it immediately by its shape as the ornament that Margaret Gask was supposed to have lost at the Opera. I told him that it had been found on the premises of a receiver of stolen goods in London. He became excited and asked me whether I had also found the missing fur coat that belonged to him. I said that part of my mission was to trace that coat but that up to the present I had been unsuccessful.
âHenri turned to the young lady and said, âIt was part of your mission to ascertain who were the friends of Margaret Gask. Can you not help M. Dallas?â
âShe shook her head. âI went out more than once with Margaret, but the only man friend she introduced to me was Mr Huskisson, whom she appeared to know very well indeed.â
âI asked her whether she could tell me if Mr Huskisson had been at the ball at the Opera House when the jewel was alleged to have been lost. She hesitated a little and then admitted that he was.
âM. Verneuil questioned me about Huskisson and I gave him full details about all the guests at Scudamore Hall as far as I knew them. He was surprised to hear that I had not taken him down to the police station to be interrogated. I explained that this was not permitted to the police in England but that he had been questioned at the coronerâs court during the inquest.
âThe interview dragged on for nearly two hours and it was not until the end that I obtained one piece of useful information from Henri, namely, the address of a furnished flat that he had taken for Miss Gask; she had lived there for a month.
âWhen M. Henri and Mlle Coulon had left M.
âI told M. Verneuil that my real object in coming to Paris was to get information about the friends and associates of Margaret Gask. I had already established the fact that Arthur Graves was one of them. I asked him whether he could arrange confidentially with M. Henri to give me a private interview at which perhaps one of his agents might be present. He said that this would be quite easy and while we were discussing the question the telephone bell rang. The message was from M. Henri himself, requesting an interview with M. Verneuil. It was arranged that if he would come at once to the Grand Palais he could see not only M. Verneuil but a detective from London.
âWhen M. Henri was announced I noted to my surprise that he was followed into the room by Mlle Pauline Coulon, to whom I referred in my last report as being one of the guests at Scudamore Hall. She was quick to notice my surprise. She smiled and said, âI must explain my little deception, monsieur.â She went on to say that in reality she was a private enquiry agent in Paris; that she had for some time been employed by M. Henri to report upon the frequent thefts that had been perpetrated in his establishment. She had had occasion to suspect Margaret Gask but had been unable to bring any specific case against her for lack of proof.
âWith the Frenchmanâs frankness in such matters M. Henri broke in here to say that Miss Gask was a very beautiful woman and he had for a time allowed his heart to rule his head.
âI said that I was employed in hunting down the assassin of Miss Gask and that I had come to Paris to ascertain who were her friends and associates. I then showed M. Henri the platinum setting of the clip from which all the stones had been prised out. He recognized it immediately by its shape as the ornament that Margaret Gask was supposed to have lost at the Opera. I told him that it had been found on the premises of a receiver of stolen goods in London. He became excited and asked me whether I had also found the missing fur coat that belonged to him. I said that part of my mission was to trace that coat but that up to the present I had been unsuccessful.
âHenri turned to the young lady and said, âIt was part of your mission to ascertain who were the friends of Margaret Gask. Can you not help M. Dallas?â
âShe shook her head. âI went out more than once with Margaret, but the only man friend she introduced to me was Mr Huskisson, whom she appeared to know very well indeed.â
âI asked her whether she could tell me if Mr Huskisson had been at the ball at the Opera House when the jewel was alleged to have been lost. She hesitated a little and then admitted that he was.
âM. Verneuil questioned me about Huskisson and I gave him full details about all the guests at Scudamore Hall as far as I knew them. He was surprised to hear that I had not taken him down to the police station to be interrogated. I explained that this was not permitted to the police in England but that he had been questioned at the coronerâs court during the inquest.
âThe interview dragged on for nearly two hours and it was not until the end that I obtained one piece of useful information from Henri, namely, the address of a furnished flat that he had taken for Miss Gask; she had lived there for a month.
âWhen M. Henri and Mlle Coulon had left M.
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