THE "BAIT" VANISHES
Simple and clever, Dick's plan appealed to Mr. Everdail.
His library, that evening, made Sandy think of a "mass meeting of
creditors or stockholders who have been tricked."
The room sheltered a mixed assembly. Jeff was there, and so was the
seaplane pilot, Tommy Larsen, and his former "passenger" supposed to be
a special agent from London.
Miss Serena, with the yacht stewardess, uneasy but clinging close to the
older woman, made up the representatives of the ladies' side, while
Captain Parks, his chef, mate, engineer and their helpers and crew, with
the caretaker and all the new servants, filled one end of the room.
"Now you know why there was so much excitement as the yacht came in,"
Mr. Everdail completed a long speech in which he told the astonished
gathering about the missing emeralds. "That is, those of you know who
didn't know before," he added meaningly, and went on quickly. "I decided
to tell you because somebody on that yacht was 'in cahoots' with
somebody else, and if any of you know who it is, it will be worth ten
thousand dollars to you to point out the right one and help me prove
you're right!"
"That will start something!" mused Larry as many exclaimed, and others
looked startled at the disclosure of the large reward.
By agreement Mr. Everdail watched the sailors and servants to note the
effect of his story. Sandy, without doing it openly, watched Jeff.
Larry's eyes covertly observed Tommy Larsen and his associate and Dick
noted the action and expression of Captain Parks.
"There's some one who knows something!" Larry decided as he saw the
passenger of the cracked-up seaplane bend forward, intent, but without a
trace of expression. He had the sort of face that can completely conceal
its owner's emotions.
"I've discovered that Captain Parks has a hand in this somehow," Larry
determined, as he saw the mariner's eyes shift. Larry followed the
swift, instantly changed direction of the seaman's glance.
"He looked smack at the stewardess," Larry added to himself.
Sandy's watchfulness drew blank.
"Jeff didn't turn a hair," Sandy murmured under his breath. "He knew all
about it, of course. But--just you wait, Jefferson-boy, till Mr.
Everdail 'springs' the trap."
As soon as the sensation created by the large offer was over, everybody
looked suspiciously at his or her own neighbor.
No one spoke.
The millionaire waited a decent interval for someone to come forward,
and Miss Serena finally broke the spell of silence by saying, quietly:
"You won't find out anything by that, Atley."
"Why not?"
"Because--" She spoke in harmony with her name, pronouncing her words
serenely:
"Because--the person who threw the jewels off the _Tramp_--isn't
here--and wasn't suspected or seen."
"As I live and breathe!" The rich man rose, while Dick, Larry and Sandy
almost bounced out of their chairs.
"Serena, explain that!" he added.
"It was your wife's French maid--Mimi!" she said quietly.
"How do you know?"
"Did you see her?" broke in Sandy, astonished.
"I did not see her," Miss Serena replied to Sandy while she answered the
older man's question in the same breath. "But I saw a glimpse of dress
just afterward." Her expression showed confident assurance.
"Why, Miss Serena!" Jeff was stunned. "I didn't know you was one of
these-here detectives."
"I'm a woman and I use my eyes," she responded quietly. "A woman needs
only to catch a flash of a dress to identify it. Mimi's maid's outfit
has a distinctive cap--and I saw her cap just as she turned into the
after cabin--I was on the bridge. I went there immediately but she had
gone out through the galley door and I could not locate her."
"Why didn't you tell me?" her cousin demanded.
"There was no need. She had taken only the imitations--the ones you
found."
"But she knew them," objected Dick. "She wouldn't throw over the wrong
ones and she couldn't get the right ones."
"She threw over both sets!"
The Sky Patrol gasped in unison. So did all the others.
"But she couldn't get the real ones!" persisted Dick.
"She did not know she was throwing them over!"
There was another chorus of amazed exclamations.
"Explain that," commanded the millionaire sharply.
"She--did--not--know--that the real emeralds--had been--hidden--in the
life preserver she used!"
"Who put the real ones there?" Larry spoke abruptly in the astonished
silence.
He did not need to have her reply. Captain Parks was red and white by
turns.
"I hid them to keep them secure!" he stammered, turning toward his
employer. "I had no wish to take them. I felt--sure--nobody knew the
combination of the cabin safe--but I couldn't say that a clever man,
some 'Jimmy Valentine' fellow, might not get in. So I decided to hide
the real emeralds--and what was safer than a life preserver?"
While eyes were fixed on him, surprised, accusing, unbelieving, he spoke
haltingly to his employer:
"I hope you'll take my word for it, sir."
The millionaire hesitated.
"I believe you!" Larry spoke earnestly, reassuringly. "It's a perfectly
reasonable explanation."
"But how did you get them into the life preserver?" asked Sandy.
"Took off part of the cover, cut the rubber, put them in, wrapped in
oiled silk to make a tight pack, then used some rubber patching cement I
keep for torn rubber coats or boot patching, and with a hot electric
iron I vulcanized the rubber together and put back the covering."
"Then there weren't any stitches to be discovered!" exclaimed Dick.
"None!"
"Then we're all right!" Larry leaped to his feet. "We can restore the
jewels!"
"Certainly we can!" agreed Sandy. "And Mr. Everdail can telegraph his
wife to have Mimi arrested----"
"And she will have to tell who was her partner," added Dick.
"Now you had better go and get that life preserver, and we'll cut it
open," suggested Mr. Everdail. "I guess it's safe enough hidden in the
tail of Jeff's plane--" He was baiting their trap. "Don't look so
surprised, Jeff--that was what caused your 'hoodooed' crate to go out of
control--but we don't suspect _you_ of putting it there!"
Sandy, Dick and Larry had left the room by the time he completed his
sentence.
Reaching the hangar, with Mr. Everdail's private key they opened the
smaller door, and used a flashlight to locate, reach and climb to the
tail of the airplane's fuselage.
"Now--out comes--why!----"
Dick and Sandy saw Larry's dazed face.
Instantly they knew the worst!