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sceptical about the significance of the warning the late Sir Edward Wilton found in the tomb of Karnos II, and will probably not feel that tracing any additional sales is of pressing importance. Remember, he has his own theory: that of a falling-out between thieves. Let me make a suggestion. I recollect that Miss Wilton has mentioned the name of her father’s bank. Now what was it?’
    ‘Havelocks,’ Van Helsing said. ‘Their office is in Marylebone, not more than two miles from here. Jonathan, if your proposal is that we visit the branch immediately, I concur absolutely. The worst that can happen is that we are told the information has already been given to Inspector Delland. If any more artefacts from the tomb of Karnos have been disposed of, it is essential that they are located and retrieved before any further violent retribution is meted out to the unsuspecting purchaser.’
    I had expected Mina to accompany Van Helsing and I to the bank, but she declined, saying that she wished instead to spend some time investigating some other aspects of the puzzling case in which we had become involved. When I asked her to take care she acknowledged my concerns with the understandable insouciance of one who has faced far greater terrors than are likely to be found on a crisp autumn day in central London.
     
    *
     
    Some twenty minutes later Van Helsing and I had passed through the imposing portals of Havelocks Bank and persuaded the reluctant chief clerk to grant us an interview with the manager, Mr Barnabus Buford. We were left to languish in a chilly anteroom for what seemed like hours, although my pocket watch confirmed that only fifteen minutes had passed before yet another immaculately dressed and well-spoken minion ushered us into the manager’s presence. That august personage was seated behind an enormous mahogany desk, our cards arranged neatly in front of him. He had the desiccated appearance of one who could have been any age between fifty-five and seventy, and an expression of poorly concealed annoyance. He waved us ungraciously towards a set of hard-backed chairs in front of him. A small open fire glowed faintly at one end of the office, and the temperature was hardly more comfortable than it had been in the waiting room.
    Buford stared down at our cards. ‘Ahem – Professor Van Helsing – Mr Harker. I usually see no one without an appointment, but in this case’ – he made a great play of consulting a slim gold pocket watch of the best quality – ‘I can allocate you five minutes of my time. Now, how may I help you?’
    Van Helsing glanced towards me and, encouraged by his nod, I began to speak.
    ‘You may have heard of the tragic demise of Mr Theodore Flinzer,’ I said. ‘He had his banking account here, and was violently killed at the beginning of this week, on Monday evening. It is possible that his wife has already contacted you.’
    The manager looked a little disconcerted. ‘Dear me!’ he exclaimed in a show of feeling. ‘How unfortunate. I must tell you that I was not aware of the matter. However, that is not unusual since my chief clerk, Higgins, would normally deal with such things. My own involvement in the bank is with the management of our large investments, negotiations of loans to national business concerns, and such like. I can summon Higgins if you wish – but perhaps first you could enlighten me as to your interest in the late gentleman.’
    As succinctly as possible I informed Buford that Flinzer had almost certainly been murdered and that it was of vital importance that any recent sales that he had made could be identified. I explained that due to our current lack of a record held by Flinzer we hoped that Havelocks Bank could examine his account to see if cheques for any large sums had been received in recent weeks.
    Buford dismissed my enquiry with barely disguised distain. ‘Mr Harker, that is entirely out of the question. We could only accede to such a request if it came from the