Evidently Tarboe was a man of power.

Ruthless he might be, ruthless and unsparing, but a man of power.
At that instant a clerk entered with a letter in his hand.

"Mrs.Grier said to give you this," he remarked to Carnac, handing it to him.
Carnac took it and the clerk departed.

The letter had an American postmark, and the handwriting on the letter brought trouble to his eyes.
He composed himself, however, and tore off the end of the envelope, taking out the letter.
It was brief.

It contained only a few lines, but as Carnac read them the colour left his face.