It is not unusual, as you know," he said, as he motioned the other to a chair, "for Scotland Yard to engage outside help, particularly when we have a crime of this character to deal with.

The facts you know," he went on, as he opened a thin folder.

"These are the reports, which you can read at your leisure.

Thornton Lyne was, to say the least, eccentric.
His life was not a particularly wholesome one, and he had many undesirable acquaintances, amongst whom was a criminal and ex-convict who was only released from gaol a few days ago." "That's rather extraordinary," said Tarling, lifting his eyebrows.

"What had he in common with the criminal ?" Commissioner Cresswell shrugged his shoulders.
"My own view is that this acquaintance was rather a pose of Lyne's.