“Quite so—­quite so,” murmured the Assistant Commissioner.  “Of course, we shall learn today something of his affairs from his banker.  He must have banked somewhere.  But surely, Chief Inspector, there is a safe or private bureau in his flat?”

“There is, sir,” said Kerry grimly; “a safe.  I had it opened at six o’clock this morning.  It had been hastily cleaned out; not a doubt of it.  I expect Sir Lucien carried the keys on his person.  You will remember, sir, that his pockets had been emptied?”

“H’m,” mused the Assistant Commissioner.  “This Cubanis Cigarette Company, Chief Inspector?”

“Dummy goods!” rapped Kerry.  “A blind.  Just a back entrance to Kazmah’s office.  Premises were leased on behalf of an agent.  This agent—­a reputable man of business—­paid the rent quarterly.  I’ve seen him.”

“And who was his client?” asked the Assistant Commissioner, displaying a faint trace of interest.

“A certain Mr. Isaacs!”

“Who can be traced?”

“Who can’t be traced!”

“His checks?”

Chief Inspector Kerry smiled, so that his large white teeth gleamed savagely.

“Mr. Isaacs represented himself as a dealer in Covent Garden who was leasing the office for a lady friend, and who desired, for domestic reasons, to cover his tracks.  As ready money in large amounts changes hands in the market, Mr. Isaacs paid ready money to the agent.  Beyond doubt the real source of the ready money was Kazmah’s.”

“But his address?”

“A hotel in Covent Garden.”

“Where he lives?”

“Where he is known to the booking-clerk, a girl who allowed him to have letters addressed there.  A man of smoke, sir, acting on behalf of someone in the background.”

“Ah! and these Bond Street premises have been occupied by Kazmah for the past eight years?”

“So I am told.  I have yet to see representatives of the landlord.  I may add that Sir Lucien Pyne had lived in Albemarle Street for about the same time.”

Wearily raising his head: 

“The point is certainly significant,” said the Assistant Commissioner.  “Now we come to the drug traffic, Chief Inspector.  You have found no trace of drugs on the premises?”

“Not a grain, sir!”

“In the office of the cigarette firm?”

“No.”

“By the way, was there no staff attached to the latter concern?”

Kerry chewed viciously.

“No business of any kind seems to have been done there,” he replied.  “An office-boy employed by the solicitor on the same floor as Kazmah has seen a man and also a woman, go up to the third floor on several occasions, and he seems to think they went to the Cubanis office.  But he’s not sure, and he can give no useful description of the parties, anyway.  Nobody in the building has ever seen the door open before this morning.”

The Assistant Commissioner sighed yet more wearily.