“The banging was intermittent, but still no less urgent, so I crept down the stairs one at a time, keeping my balance by holding onto the side bannister. As I reached the bottom of the staircase it became apparent that the banging was not coming from behind the front door, but rather from somewhere at the back of the house. I lifted the lantern so that I could check the time on my wristwatch; it was three fifteen. A thousand and one thoughts raced through my mind as to just who it might be hammering on my door at this ungodly hour of the morning. The only person that came to mind was possibly Jarrow, but what on earth would possess the man to think that whatever he wanted could not wait until a reasonable hour?
“At the sound of the next bout of hammering I suddenly began to feel extremel
