In the early fifties, Charles Stone was one of the Big Four at Scotland Yard and for many years had been recognised as one of the smartest men in the Criminal Investigation Department. Big and stout, with the real bull-dog type of face, he was nevertheless at heart of a very kindly nature, with a humorous twinkle always ready to light up the shrewd big eyes which looked out from under his big and bushy brows. Very little ever escaped Charlie Stone, and though there was nothing of the bully about him, woe betide the evil-doer who thought he could deceive him with trickery and lies. Then his face would harden and he would rap out his questions like bullets from a gun.
His colleague, Isaac Mendel, a son of Israel as his name implied was one of the youngest inspectors at the Yard, being only
