It was a long ten minutes before Fay emerged with his teeth clamping a slender Perfecto. He passed one to Rake.

“Smoke up!” he said. “It’s on the British representatives. I’ve got a good lead from Arthur Hilton. It’s one I overlooked in my haste this morning. I think we get our people tonight!”

“What people, Chester?”

“The crooks who killed Stephney. They were after bigger game. The others of Stephney’s suite are due on the Imparada. Hilton tells me privately that she has been sighted from Sandy Hook.”

Rake examined the cigar, then lighted it and started puffing.

“I don’t get you! What’s due on the ship? What’s it got to do with—”

Fay started toward Broadway. Rake followed with the question still upon his mind.

“We’re closing in,” said Fay as he brought a sheet of paper from his side pocket and spread it out on the palm of his right hand. “I did a lot of phoning. There’s nothing new at Poughkeepsie—except that the train upon which Stephney’s body was found was made up on Tenth Avenue, New York.”

“That’s Death Avenue!”

“It’s well named. It left at seven o’clock. It passed the Harlem River at eight-sixteen. It reached Harmon at nine-three. It rolled into Poughkeepsie early in the morning and was shunted on a sidetrack. The railroad detectives searched it carefully while looking for tramps. It was then they found the body.”

Rake eyed the sheet of paper.

“Did O’Toole get all that?” he asked.

“Yes. He saw the coroner and the Army surgeon. Stephney was suffocated and completely out of this life when his body was dropped on top of the train. That must have been from some small bridge leading over the tracks to the Hudson River. It was either to a boathouse or a private estate.”

“Go on,” said Rake.

“Hilton—Sir Arthur—tells me that two members of the same banking firm, coming over on the Imparada, have considerable money with them. This Commission, of which Stephney was a member, came on different steamers on account of a secret matter pertaining to pending treaties. These two members will dock sometime tonight.”

“At the same pier, Chester?”

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