Sax Rohmer

“ Latham paused a moment before answering. He was listening to a distant rumbling sound; the storm was moving again in the direction of the Abbey.
“Frankly, I'm afraid I don't,” he confessed. “I was in India at the time. He died in Cairo, if I remember rightly?”
Harley nodded.
“Yes. His health failed. He settled in Egypt and was on the point of giving to the world a new and deadly weapon of war, more deadly even than the Ernst Torpedo. He died suddenly.”
“Yes,” mused Latham. “Ernst's Trajector; the papers were full of it. ”

“ Surely you realize that if I fail in my campaign against this dreadful agency, it may mean the sacrifice, not of two or three, but of millions of women, to the rapacity of a great, ruthless, fanatical, colored tide, now stemmed and held back, but only awaiting something, something which I can dimly imagine, to be loosed upon the white races. ”

“ Harley stood up and glared down grimly at the speaker.
“Latham!” he snapped, “we have known one another for a long time. I have to deal with events as I find them. I could not foresee the position that would arise tonight. But as I find it, so I must deal with it. This is not merely a question of apprehending an isolated criminal. If it were, I should not hesitate for a moment. You speak of exposing women to danger? ”

“ We are dealing with people who know everybody's movements. You think, don't you, that the telegram that came to the Warren, tonight, was a forgery?”
“I do,” replied Harley promptly. “They thought the presence of visitors here might interfere with their plans.”
“Also,” continued Latham, watching him closely, “you have a theory respecting the identity of this agent of the S. Group who gains access to the Abbey in spite of all Van Dean's devices.”
“Why do you suggest this?” asked Harley. ”

“ Harley answered. “I am merely endeavoring to illustrate my point. Assuming that the eavesdropper had been, shall we say, Parker, the gardener, would his presence in the cabinet have constituted definite evidence that he was a member of the S. Group? I can only see, as the result of making such a discovery, the dismissal of the culprit, and nothing gained.”
“But suppose,” suggested Latham slowly, “that the eavesdropper had proved to be not a servant.”
“Not a servant?” echoed Harley. “Mrs. Moody, for instance?” ”

“ And if you are hesitating to apprehend this awful criminal in our midst because you want to solve the mystery of the Listening Death, I feel called upon to remark that you are exposing women to a quite unnecessary risk! ”

“ Did he obtain Van Dean's consent?”
“Not at all!” Harley assured him. “Van Dean was unaware of the care which was being taken of him, Oh, believe me, Latham, Scotland Yard is not effete, yet! Detective Sergeant Denby was admitted, then, to this very room, last Tuesday night.”
“But he was found in the shrubbery?”
“I know!” snapped Harley. “But he didn't die in the shrubbery. He died down there in the library. I am practically certain of it! All this is theory, however, I admit, but I am hoping to put it to the test, tonight. ”