"Delighted to lunch with you there or anywhere, old chap, - you know
that," was the answer, "but some one 's been putting up a practical
joke on you."

"You did not send me a note round this morning, then?" Laverick
insisted.

"I'll swear I didn't," came the reply. "Do you seriously mean that
you've had one purporting to come from me?"

Laverick pulled himself together.

"Well, the signature's such a scrawl," he said, "that no one could
tell what the name really was. I guessed at you but I seem to have
guessed wrong. Good-bye!"

He set down the receiver and rang off to escape further questioning.
Now indeed the plot was commencing to thicken. This was a deliberate
effort on the part of some one to secure his absence from his offices
at a quarter to one.

With the document in his pocket and the safe securely locked,
Laverick felt at ease as to the result of any attempted burglary of
his premises. At the same time his curiosity was excited. Here,
perhaps, was a chance of finding some clue to this impenetrable
mystery.

There were thee clerks in the outer office. He put on his hat and
despatched two of them on errands in different directions. The last
he was obliged to take into his confidence.