The car was of an old type, but the man at the garage said the engines
were in good condition. The tires were burst, otherwise there was nothing
much the matter with the car beyond its age.

"Was anything found in the car?" I asked.

"An old glove and a handkerchief," and the man took them out of a drawer.

The glove told us nothing, but the handkerchief was a lady's, and had "E.
W." embroidered on it.

"This is a police matter," I told the man. "A watch will be kept on the
premises in case the car is claimed, which is very unlikely, I fancy."

Quarles was perplexed.

"I don't understand it, Wigan. That car looks to me as if it had been
purposely abandoned. Had they another car waiting, or was Hounslow their
destination? Of course you must warn the police here, but--well, I do not
understand it. I am going straight back to Chelsea."

"I will see the Hounslow police, and then go on to the Langham," I
returned.

"Of course, that's just ordinary detective work, and out of my line,"
Quarles said somewhat curtly, "but I don't suppose your inquiries will
lead anywhere."

In this surmise he was perfectly correct. No one of the name of Julius
Hoffman was known at the Langham. The Hounslow police made no discovery,