morosely. "But this would be the worst of all. If I could have
known, when the Turkish Embassy reserved the apartment--"

"The Turkish Embassy never reserved any apartment for Telfik Bey,"
put in the Fifth Assistant Secretary of State.

"Surely you are mistaken, sir," replied the hotel man. "I saw their
emissary myself. He specified for rooms on the south side, either
the third or fourth floor. Wouldn't have anything else."

"You gave him a definite reservation?" asked Jones.

"Yes; 335 and 336."

"Has the man been here since?"

"Not to my knowledge."

"A Turk, you think?"

"I suppose so. Foreign, anyway."

"Anything about him strike you particularly?"

"Well, he was tall and thin and looked sickly. He talked very soft,
too, like a sick man."

The characterization of the Pearlington station agent recurred to
the interrogator's mind. "Had he--er--white hair?" he half yawned.