Steel listened attentively, chin on hand.
When Giles finished he nodded.
"I'll go down and see this brother," he remarked. "If he hates the man whom we think committed the crime so much, he will be anxious to assist us in securing him.
I wonder why that governess helped Wilson, or rather Walter Franklin, to escape?
Of course, I believe that she is his daughter.
Now don't look so angry, Mr. Ware.
If you remember, when I talked with you at the Princess Karacsay's I said you could draw your own inferences.
That is what I meant." Here the detective stopped and peered into Giles' face. "You don't appear to be so surprised as I thought you would be."
"Are you sure that Miss Denham is Wilson's daughter?"
"No, I am not yet sure.
But if I can make this Mark Dane speak further, I'll be certain.
He knows all about the matter.
Unfortunately he is gone.
I caught him at Bournemouth, and after he told me a portion of the truth he managed to get away.
It's a long story how he fooled me.
I'll tell it to you another time.
But the worst of it is," resumed Steel dolefully, "that Dane will warn Wilson and he will get away.
All the same, now you have told me Wilson has a brother I may be able to find out something in that quarter.
The brother is all right?"
"He is an honest man, if that is what you mean."
"H'm!" said Steel sceptically. "I don't see how there can be any honest member of the Franklin family."
"Do you include Miss Denham?" asked Giles furiously.
"Well, sir, she sails under false colors."
"She can explain that."
"I hope she will be able to when I catch her."
"Steel, I won't stand this!" cried Ware, much agitated.
The detective thought for a moment.
"See here, sir," he remarked, "we won't discuss this matter until I have caught Dane."
"How do you hope to catch him?"
"I have laid a trap for him at the Princess Karacsay's flat," said Steel quietly. "Oh, don't look so astonished.
This Dane was one of the attendants at some concert where the Princess sang.
He fell in love with her, and has been bothering her with letters.
I have arranged that he shall call at the flat. I'll be waiting for him."
"It's odd that the Princess should know about this man," said Ware.
Steel looked at him queerly.
"It is odd," he said; "and to my mind it is more than a coincidence.
Princess Olga is a clever woman.
I have to be very careful with her."
"Do you mean to say that she knows anything?" asked Giles.
"I am sure she does.
I believe she could explain the whole business; but I can't find out how she came to be connected with it. Well, Mr. Ware, I must be off.
When I see Dane and get the truth out of him, I'll see you again.
I hope, for your sake, that Miss Denham is not the daughter of this man, but from a few words let drop by Dane I fear she is.
At all events, sir, you can set your mind at rest about her being guilty of murder.
She is innocent.
The father did it."
Giles departed, much comforted by this statement.
He knew well enough that Anne was the daughter of Wilson, alias Denham, alias Franklin, and he shuddered again to think of his pure, good Anne being mixed up with a man who was hand and glove with the criminal classes and a criminal himself.
However, he put this matter out of his mind for the moment, and drove to the Westminster flat.
If Anne was there, he determined to take her away to a place of safety, and defy Steel and Walter Franklin to do their worst.