THE LETTER
The next morning, when Ramon Hamilton presented himself at Henry
Blaine's office in answer to the latter's summons, he found the great
detective in a mood more nearly bordering upon excitability than he
could remember having witnessed before. Instead of being seated calmly
at his desk, his thoughts masked with his usual inscrutable
imperturbability, Blaine was pacing restlessly back and forth with the
disquietude, not of agitation, but of concentrated, ebullient energy.
"I sent for you, Mr. Hamilton," he began, after greeting his visitor
cordially and waving him to a chair, "because we must proceed actively
with the investigation into the alleged bankruptcy of Pennington
Lawton. We have been passive long enough for me to have gathered some
significant facts, but we now must make a salient move. The time
hasn't yet come for me to step out into the open. When I do, it will
be a tooth-and-nail fight, and I must be equipped with facts, not
theories. I want some particulars about Mr. Lawton's insolvency, and
there is no one who could more naturally inquire into this without
arousing suspicion than you."
"I don't need to tell you, Mr. Blaine, how anxious I am to do anything
I can to help you, for Miss Lawton's sake," Ramon Hamilton replied
eagerly. "I should like to have looked into the matter long
ago--indeed, I felt that suspicion must have been aroused in the
minds of Mallowe and his associates by the fact that I accepted the
astounding news of the bankruptcy as unquestioningly as Miss Lawton
herself, unless they thought me an addlepated fool--but I didn't want
to go ahead without direct instructions from you."
"I did not so direct you, Mr. Hamilton, for a distinct purpose. I
wished the men we believe to be responsible for the present conditions
to be slightly puzzled by your attitude, so that when the time came
for you to begin your investigation, they would be more completely
reassured. In order to make your questioning absolutely bona fide, I
want you to go first this morning to the office of Anderson & Wallace,
the late Mr. Lawton's attorneys, and question them as if having come
with Miss Lawton's authority. Don't suggest any suspicion of there
being any crookedness at work, but merely inquire as fully as possible
into the details of Mr. Lawton's business affairs. They will, in their
replies, undoubtedly bring in Mr. Mallowe, Mr. Rockamore and Mr.
Carlis, which will give you a cue to go quite openly and frankly to
one of the three--preferably Mallowe--for corroboration. Knowing that
you come direct from the late Mr. Lawton's attorneys, he will be only
too glad to give you whatever information he may possess or may have
concocted--and so lay open to you his plan of defense."
"Defense? You think, then, Mr. Blaine, that they anticipate possible
trouble--exposure, even? Surely such astute, far-seeing men as Mallowe
and Rockamore are, at least, would not have attempted such a gigantic
fraud if they'd anticipated the possibility of being discovered!
Carlis has weathered so many storms, so many attacks upon his
reputation and civic honor, that he may have felt cocksure of his
position and gone into this thing without thought for the future, but
the other two are men of different caliber, men with everything in the
world to lose."
"And colossal, unearned wealth to gain--don't forget that, Mr.
Hamilton. Men of different caliber, I grant you, but all three in the
same whirlpool of crime, bound by thieves' law to sink or swim
together. It is because they are astute and far-seeing that they must
inevitably have considered the possibility of exposure and safeguarded
themselves against it with bogus corroborative proof. If that proof is
in tangible form, and we can lay our hands on it, we shall have them
where we want them. Now go back to your office, Mr. Hamilton, and
dictate this letter to your stenographer, having it left open on your
desk for your signature. Don't wait for the letter to be typed, but
proceed at once to the office of Anderson & Wallace. You, as a lawyer,
will of course know the form of inquiry to use."
The detective handed Ramon Hamilton a typewritten sheet of paper from
his desk; and the young man, after hastily perusing it, gazed with a
blank stare of amazement into Blaine's eyes.
"I can't make this out," he objected. "Who on earth is Alexander
Gibbs, and what has he to do with Miss Lawton's case? This letter
seems to inform one Alexander Gibbs that I have retained you to
recover for us the last will and testament of his aunt, Mrs. Dorothea
Gibbs. I have no such client, and I know no one in--what's the
address?--Ellenville, Sullivan County."
Blaine smiled.
"Of course you don't, Mr. Hamilton. Nevertheless, you will sign that
letter and your secretary will mail it--that is, after it has lain
open upon your desk for casual inspection for a considerable length
of time. One of my operatives will receive it in Ellenville."
"But what has it to do with the matter in hand?" Ramon asked.
"Everything. I understand that you employ quite an office force, for
an attorney who has so recently been admitted to the bar, and who has
necessarily had little time yet to build up an extensive practice.
There may be a spy in your office--remember that as Miss Lawton's
fiance and her only protector in this crisis, you are the one whom
they would safeguard themselves against primarily. When I called you
up this morning, to ask you to come here, you very indiscreetly
mentioned my name over the telephone. Your entire office force will
know that you have been to consult me--this letter will throw them off
the track should there be a spy among them, and will also give you a
legitimate excuse to call upon me frequently in the immediate future.
You realize that we also must safeguard ourselves, Mr. Hamilton."
The young man reddened.
"Of course. I did not think--I called you by name inadvertently," he
stammered. "I'll be more discreet in the future, Mr. Blaine."
"Memorize the gist of the letter on your way to your office--particularly
the name and address--and place it securely in your vest pocket. When
you have left your office to go to Anderson & Wallace, destroy it
carefully. You had best, perhaps, stop in the lavatory of some
restaurant or public bar and burn it, or tear it into infinitesimal
pieces. Remember that everything depends upon you now--upon your
discretion and diplomacy."
Hamilton followed Blaine's instructions to the letter, and an hour
after he had left the detective he was closeted with the senior member
of the firm of Anderson & Wallace.
"My dear Mr. Hamilton, we have had so little time," Mr. Anderson
expostulated. "Remember that Mr. Lawton's death occurred little more
than a fortnight ago, and even the most cursory examination has shown
us that his affairs were in a most chaotic condition. It will take us
weeks, months, to settle up so involved an estate.
"At present we can give you little information. It is by no means
certain that Mr. Lawton was an absolute bankrupt--we have not yet
assured ourselves that nothing can be saved from the wreckage. You
cannot imagine how aghast, thunderstruck, we were, when this present
state of affairs was made known to us. We have been Mr. Lawton's
attorneys for more than twenty years, and we thought that we knew
every detail of his multifarious transactions, but for some reason
which we cannot fathom he saw fit, within the last two years, to
change his investments without taking us into his confidence--and with
disastrous results."
"Mr. Lawton was always conservative. He took no one fully into his
confidence," Ramon Hamilton replied guardedly.
"You knew, of course, that he had ideas about the disposal of his vast
wealth which many other financiers would consider peculiar. He would
never invest in real estate, to our knowledge. His millions were
placed entirely in stocks and bonds, and for years he had stated that
his object was, in the event of his death, to save his daughter and
the trustees from unnecessary trouble over real-estate matters. This
makes his later conduct all the more inexplicable. Mr. Mallowe has
told me that Mr. Lawton made several suggestions to him and to his
associates, Mr. Rockamore and Mr. Carlis, to go with him into the
unfortunate speculations which ultimately caused his ruin. They were
far-seeing enough to refuse."
"Just what were these speculations, Mr. Anderson?"
"I can't tell you at this moment. You'll understand that we don't wish
to make any statement until we can do so definitely, and we are still,
as I said, quite at sea. We'll try to straighten everything out as
soon as possible, and give you and Miss Lawton a full report. In the
meantime, why not consult Mr. Mallowe? He can give you more explicit
information concerning the late Mr. Lawton's speculation and final
insolvency than we shall be able to do for some time; or possibly, Mr.
Rockamore, or even Mr. Carlis might enlighten you. All three seem to
have been more conversant with Mr. Lawton's affairs than we, his
attorneys."
The dignified old gentleman's voice held a note of pained resentment,
with which Ramon Hamilton could not help but sympathize.
"I will adopt your suggestion, Mr. Anderson, and call upon Mr. Mallowe
at once. I can no more understand than you can how it happens that Mr.
Lawton should have confided to such an extent in his business
associates, to the exclusion of you and Mr. Wallace--to say nothing of
his own daughter; but doubtless there were financial reasons which
we'll learn. I will take up no more of your valuable time, but will
try to see Mr. Mallowe immediately. If I learn any facts you're not
now in possession of, I'll let you know at once."
Mr. Mallowe, when approached over the telephone, welcomed most
cordially the proposed interview with Miss Lawton's fiance. When the
latter arrived, he was greeted with a warm, limp hand-clasp, and
seated confidentially close to the president of the Street Railways.
"Mr. Anderson did well to suggest your coming to me, Mr. Hamilton,"
the magnate remarked unctuously. "I believe I am in a position to give
you a more comprehensive idea of the circumstances which brought about
my esteemed friend's unfortunate financial collapse at the time of his
death than my colleagues, because I was closer to him in many ways,
and I am confident that he regarded me as his best friend. However, I
don't feel that I can, in honor, violate the confidence of the dead by
giving any details just now--even to you and Miss Lawton--of matters
which have not yet been fully substantiated by the attorneys. I know
only from Mr. Lawton's own private statements that he was interested,
to the point one might almost say of mania, in a gigantic scheme from
which we, his friends, tried in vain to dissuade him. He urged me
especially to go in on it with him, but because of the very position I
hold, it would have been impossible for me to consider it, even if my
better judgment hadn't warned me against it."
"Can't you give me some idea of the nature of this scheme?" Ramon
asked. "I can't believe, any more easily than Miss Lawton can, that
there could have been anything that was not thoroughly open and
above-board about her father's dealings. Surely, there can be no
reason for this extraordinary secrecy, particularly as the newspapers
had given to the world at large the unauthorized statement, from a
source unknown to Miss Lawton or myself, that Pennington Lawton died a
bankrupt!"
The young man drew himself up sharply, as if fearful of having said
too much, and for a moment there was silence. Then Mr. Mallowe leaned
back easily in his chair and, removing his tortoise-shell rimmed
eyeglasses, tapped the desk thoughtfully with them as he replied:
"That was regrettable, of course, Mr. Hamilton. It must have been
distressing in the extreme to Miss Lawton, coming just at this time,
but it would have had to be revealed sooner or later, you know--such a
stupendous fact could not be hidden. There is no extraordinary secrecy
about the matter. When the attorneys have completed their settlement
of the estate, everything will be clear to you and Miss Lawton. I must
naturally decline to give you any explanation which would be, just
now, merely an uncorroborated opinion. I appreciate your feelings in
this sudden, almost overwhelming trouble which has come to Miss
Lawton, and I sympathize with both of you most heartily; but one must
have patience. You will pardon me, but you are both very young, and
that is the hardest lesson of all for you to learn."
His watery eyes beamed in fatherly benevolence upon Ramon, and Anita's
fiance felt his gorge rising. The older man reminded him irresistibly
of a cat licking its chops before a canary's cage, and it was with
difficulty he restrained himself to remark coldly:
"You told me at the beginning of this interview, Mr. Mallowe, that
I did well in coming to you, since you could give me a more
comprehensive idea of the circumstances than anyone else, yet you
have disclosed nothing beyond a few vague suggestions--to any other
man I should have said, insinuations--and generalities which we
were already familiar with. Can't you give me any real information?"
"My dear boy, I intend to tell you all that I know and can verify."
The silky smoothness of the magnate's tones had deepened in spite of
himself, with a steely undernote.
"I don't know when the project which spelled his ruin was first
conceived by Mr. Lawton, but I believe that he started to put it into
active operation over three years ago. He went into it with his usual
cold nerve, and then, when the pendulum did not swing his way he kept
heaping more and more of his securities on the pyre of his ambition
and pride in himself, until he was forced to obtain large loans. That
he did seek and obtain such loans I can prove to you at the present
moment, in one instance at least, for it was through me the affair was
negotiated. I think he fully realized his enormous error, but refused
to admit it even to himself, and strove by sheer force of will-power
to carry a hopeless scheme to success."
"Sought loans! He--Pennington Lawton required loans and obtained them
through you?" Ramon almost started from his chair. "Mr. Mallowe, you
will forgive me, but I can scarcely credit it. I know, of course, that
financiers, even those who conduct their operations on a far lesser
scale than Mr. Lawton, frequently seek loans, but your manner and your
speech just now led me to believe that you had some other motive in
doing what you did for Mr. Lawton. From what you have told me I gather
that it was owing more to your friendship for him, than to your
financial relations, that he called upon you at that time."
"And it was to my friendship at that time that he appealed, Mr.
Hamilton."
"Appealed? I cannot imagine Pennington Lawton appealing to any man.
Why should he appeal to you?"
"Because, my dear boy, he was in a mighty bad fix when he had need to
call upon me. Oh, by the way, I have the letter here in my safe--I
found it only the other day."
"The letter? What letter?"
"The letter Mr. Lawton wrote me from Long Bay asking me to get Mr.
Moore's help in the matter--here it is."
Mallowe went to his safe, and opening it, withdrew from an inner
drawer a paper which he presented to the young lawyer. After a cursory
examination Ramon placed it upon the desk before him, and turning to
Mr. Mallowe said:
"I am awfully sorry to have annoyed you with this matter, but you
understand exactly how Miss Lawton and I feel about it--"
"Of course, Mr. Hamilton, I realize the situation fully. I am glad to
have had this opportunity to explain to you how the matter stood as
far as I personally was concerned. You know I will do anything that I
can for Miss Lawton and I trust that you will call upon me."
He rose with ponderous significance as if to state tacitly that the
interview was at an end, but the younger man did not stir from his
chair.
"This letter came to you--when did you say, Mr. Mallowe?"
"When Pennington Lawton and his daughter were at The Breakers at Long
Bay, about two years ago last August, as nearly as I can remember."
"If you still had the envelope, we could obtain the exact date from
the postmark," Ramon suggested significantly. "The letter I see is
only headed 'Saturday.'"
"Yes, it is unfortunate that I did not keep it," the magnate retorted
a little drily. "It was by the merest, most fortunate chance that the
letter itself came to light. However, I cannot see at this late date
what difference it could possibly make when the letter was mailed,
since it establishes beyond any possibility of doubt the fact that it
_was_ mailed. As to the matter of the negotiation of the loan, I would
prefer that you apply to Mr. Moore himself for the particulars
concerning it. I am sure that he will be quite as glad as I have been
to give you such definite information as he possesses."
This time the dismissal could not be ignored, and Ramon Hamilton took
his departure, but not before he had marked well the particular drawer
within the safe from which the letter had been taken.
As he went down the corridor, a saucy, red-cheeked young woman with
business briskness in her manner came from an inner office and smiled
boldly at him. She was Loretta Murfree, the new filing clerk who had
been installed only that morning in Mr. Mallowe's office.
Had Ramon known her to be the protegee of Anita Lawton and the spy of
Henry Blaine, he might have glanced at her a second time.
The young man proceeded straight to the offices of Charlton Moore,
the banker, and found that an interview was readily granted him.
Mr. Moore remembered the incident of the loan, and his private
accounts showed that it had been made on the sixteenth of August two
years previously.
"Mr. Mallowe arranged the matter with you for Mr. Lawton, did he not?"
Ramon asked.
"Yes, it was a purely confidential affair. Mr. Carlis came with
him to interview me. They did not at first tell me that Mr. Lawton
positively desired the loan, but they made tentative arrangements
asking if I would be in a position to give it to him should he desire
it, and they said they came to me at this early date desiring to make
no definite statement. Mr. Lawton had told them that once before I had
accommodated him by carrying a note confidentially at his request.
Of course I did not care to commit myself, as you can readily
understand, Mr. Hamilton, until I was assured the proposition was
bona fide.
"Mr. Mallowe and Mr. Carlis suggested that I call Mr. Lawton up on the
private wire in his office, but the matter was so delicate that as
long as he had not come to me in person I did not care to telephone
him. Mr. Mallowe showed me a letter which he had recently received
from Pennington Lawton corroborating his statement. But in the matter
of the amount desired we could not definitely distinguish the figures.
Mr. Mallowe was sure that it was three hundred and fifty thousand
dollars. Mr. Carlis was equally certain that it was three hundred and
eighty-five thousand. To make certain of the matter they called Mr.
Lawton up from my office here in my presence, and he stated that the
sum desired was three hundred and fifty thousand dollars. There was
only one odd thing about the entire transaction, and that was a remark
Mr. Mallowe made as he was leaving. After the negotiations had been
completed he turned and said, 'You understand, Mr. Moore, that Mr.
Lawton is so careful, so secretive, that he does not wish this matter
ever mentioned to him personally, even if you think yourself
absolutely alone with him.'"
"Mr. Lawton was a very peculiar man in many ways," Ramon said
meditatively. "His methods of conducting his affairs were not always
easily understood. The negotiations were then completed shortly
thereafter?"
"Yes, within a few days. I turned the amount required over to Mr.
Mallowe and Mr. Carlis, and accepted Mr. Lawton's note. I will show it
to you if you care to see it."
"That will not be necessary, Mr. Moore, but I am going to make a
request that may seem very strange to you. Should it be necessary,
would you be willing to show that note to some one whom I may bring
here to you--some one who may prefer not to see you personally, but
merely to be permitted to examine the note in the presence of some
responsible people of your own choosing?"
"Certainly, Mr. Hamilton. I think I can safely promise that. But what
does it mean--is there anything wrong with Pennington Lawton's note?"
"Not that I am aware of, Mr. Moore," Ramon answered, laughing rather
shortly. "I am unable to explain just now, but I think the name of
Pennington Lawton carries with it a sufficient guarantee that the note
will be honored when it is presented."
An hour later, at the close of the busiest day he had experienced
since his graduation from the law school, young Hamilton presented
himself at Henry Blaine's office. The detective listened in silence to
his story, and at its conclusion remarked quietly: "You did well, Mr.
Hamilton. I am going to call one of my operatives and ask you to
repeat to him in detail the location of that safe in Mallowe's office
and the drawer which contains Mr. Lawton's letter from Long Bay."
"Anyone would think you meant to steal it, Mr. Blaine."
Young Hamilton's laugh was now unrestrained. "There couldn't possibly
be anything wrong with the note or the entire transaction. Mr. Moore
proved that when he told me how Mr. Mallowe and Carlis called up Mr.
Lawton in his presence on his private wire and discussed the
negotiations."
"Are you sure that they did, Mr. Hamilton?" The detective suddenly
leaned forward across his desk, his body tense, his eyes alight with
fervid animation. "Are you sure Pennington Lawton ever received that
message?"
"He must have. According to Mr. Moore, the two men used Mr. Lawton's
private wire, the number of which was known only to a few of his
closest intimates and which of course was not listed."
"But some one who knew that the telephone message was coming might
readily have been in Lawton's office seated at his desk, alone, and
replied to it in the financier's name. Do you understand, Mr.
Hamilton? The note may be a forgery, the letter may be a forgery; that
we shall soon know. If it is, and the money so obtained from Moore has
been converted to the use of the three confederates whom we suspect to
have formed a conspiracy to ruin Miss Lawton, then her father's entire
fortune might have been seized upon in virtually the same way."
Henry Blaine rose and paced back and forth as if almost oblivious of
the other's presence. "The mortgage of his was forged--we have proved
that," he continued. "Why, then, should not every other available
security have been stolen in practically the same way?" he continued.
"But how would anyone dare? The whole thing is too bare-faced," Ramon
expostulated. "A man like Mr. Moore could not have been imposed upon
by a mere forgery."
"But if that note proves to be a forgery, Mr. Hamilton, and the
letter as well--we shall have picked up a tangible clue at last. I
think I am beginning to see daylight."
Late that night in the huge suite of offices of President Mallowe of
the Street Railways, a very curious scene took place. The stolid
watchman who had been on uneventful duty there for twenty years had
made his rounds for the last time. With superb nonchalance, he settled
himself for his accustomed nap in his employer's chair. From the
stillness and gloom of the semi-deserted office-building two stealthy
figures descended swiftly upon him, their feet sinking noiselessly
into the rich pile of the rugs. A short, silent struggle, a cloth
saturated with chloroform pressed heavily over his face, and the
guardian of the premises lay inert. The shorter, more stocky of the
two nocturnal visitors, without more ado switched on a pocket electric
light and made a hasty but thorough survey of the room. The taller one
shrank back inadvertently from the drug-stilled body in the chair,
then resolutely turned and knelt beside his companion before the safe.
He dreaded to think of what discovery might mean. If he, Ramon
Hamilton, were to be caught in the act of burglarizing, his career as
a rising young lawyer would be at an end. The risk indeed was great,
but he had promised Henry Blaine every aid in his power to help the
girl he loved.
After a minute examination, the operative proceeded to work upon the
massive safe door. With the cunning of a _Jimmy Valentine_ he
manipulated the tumblers. Ramon Hamilton, his discomfiture forgotten,
watched with breathless interest while the keen, sensitive fingers
performed their task. Soon the great doors swung noiselessly back and
the manifold compartments within were revealed.
The young lawyer pointed out the drawer from which he had seen
President Mallowe remove the letter that morning, and it, too, yielded
quickly to the master-touch of the expert. There, on the very top of a
pile of papers, lay the written page they sought.
"He'll be all right. We haven't done for him, have we?" Ramon Hamilton
whispered anxiously, pointing to the watchman's unconscious form, as,
their mission accomplished, they stole from the room.
"Surest thing you know. He'll come to in half an hour, none the
worse," the operative responded. "We made a good clean job of it."
Henry Blaine could hardly suppress his elation when they laid the
letter before him on their return to his office.
"It's a forgery, just as I suspected," he exclaimed, with supreme
satisfaction. "Look, Hamilton; I'll show you how it was done."
"It is incredible. I can scarcely believe it. I know Pennington
Lawton's handwriting as well as I know my own, and I could swear that
his fingers guided the pen. His writing was as distinctive as his
character."
"It's that very fact," the detective returned, "which would have made
it easier to copy; but, as it happens, you are partially right. This
was not a forgery in the ordinary sense. Those are Pennington Lawton's
own words before you, in his own handwriting."
"Then how--" the young lawyer inquired, in a bewildered tone.
Henry Blaine smiled.
"You do not intend to specialize in criminal law, do you, Mr.
Hamilton?" he remarked whimsically. "If you do, you will have to be
up in the latest tricks of the trade. The man who forged this
letter--the same man, by the way, forged the signature on that
mortgage--accomplished it like this: He took a bundle of Mr. Lawton's
old letters, cut out the actual words he desired, and pasted 'em
in their proper order on the letter paper. Then he photographed this
composite, and electrotyped it--that is, transferred it to a
copperplate, and etched it. Then he re-photographed it, and in
this way got an actual photograph of a supposedly authentic
communication. There is only one man in this country who is capable
of such perfect work. I know who that man is and where to find him."
"Then if you can locate him before he skips, and make him talk, you
will have won the victory," Ramon exclaimed, jubilantly.
But the detective shook his head.
"The time is not yet ripe for that. The man is, in my estimation, a
mere tool in the hands of the men higher up. He may not be able to
give us any actual proof against them, and our exposure of him will
only tip them off--put 'em on their guard. We needn't show our hand
just yet."
"What's the next move to be, then?" the young lawyer asked. "I don't
mean, of course, that I wish to inquire into your methods of handling
the case--but have you any further commissions for me?"
"Only to accompany me to-morrow morning to the office of Charlton
Moore and let me examine that note which Mr. Lawton presumably gave
two years ago. Afterward, I have four little amateur detectives of
mine to interview--then I think we'll be able to proceed straight to
our goal."
The note also, as Henry Blaine had predicted, proved to be a forgery
and to have been executed by the same hand as the letter.
[Illustration: With the cunning of a Jimmy Valentine he manipulated the
tumblers. Ramon Hamilton, his discomfiture forgotten, watched with
breathless interest.]
The detective betrayed to the unsuspecting banker no sign of his
elation at the discovery, but following their interview he returned to
his office and sent for the four young girls whom he had taken from
the Anita Lawton Club and installed in the offices of the men he
suspected.
The first to respond was Margaret Hefferman, who had been sent as
stenographer to Rockamore, the promoter.
"You followed my instructions, Miss Hefferman," asked Blaine. "You
kept a list for me of Mr. Rockamore's visitors?"
"Yes, sir. I have it here in my bag. I also brought carbon copies of
two letters which Mr. Rockamore dictated and which I thought might
have some bearing on the matter in which you are interested--although
I could not quite understand them myself."
"Let me see them, please."
Blaine took the documents and list of names, scanning them quickly and
sharply with a practised eye. The names were those of the biggest men
in the city--bankers, brokers, financiers and promoters. Among them,
that of President Mallowe and Timothy Carlis appeared frequently. At
only one did Henry Blaine pause--at that of Mark Paddington. He had
known the man as an employee of a somewhat shady private detective
agency several years before and had heard that he had later been
connected in some capacity with the city police, but had never come
into actual contact with him.
What business could a detective of his caliber have to do with
Bertrand Rockamore?
The letters were short and cryptic in their meaning, and significant
only when connected with those to whom they were addressed. The first
was to Timothy Carlis; it read:
Your communication received. We must proceed with the utmost
care in this matter. Keep me advised of any further
contingencies which may arise. P. should know or be able to
find out. The affair is to his interests as much as ours.
B. R.
The second was addressed to Paddington:
Have learned from C. that your assistants are under espionage.
What does it mean? Learn all particulars at once and advise.
R.
"You have done well, Miss Hefferman," said Blaine as he looked up from
the last of the letters. "I will keep these carbon copies and the
list. Let me know how often Mr. Mallowe and Timothy Carlis call, and
try particularly to overhear as much as possible of the man
Paddington's conversation when he appears."
When the young stenographer had departed, Fifine Dechaussee
appeared. She was the governess who had been sent to the home of
Doctor Franklin, ostensibly to care for his children, but in reality
to find, if possible, what connection existed between Carlis,
Mallowe, Rockamore and himself. The young Frenchwoman's report was
disappointingly lacking in any definite result--save one fact. The
man Paddington had called twice upon the minister, remaining the
second time closeted with him in his study for more than an hour.
Later, he had intercepted her when she was out with the children in
the park; but she had eluded his attentions.
"I wish you hadn't done so. If he makes any further attempt to talk
with you, Mademoiselle Dechaussee, encourage him, draw him out. If he
tries to question you about yourself and where you came from, don't
mention the Anita Lawton Club, but remember his questions carefully
and come and tell me."
"Certainly, m'sieur, I shall remember."
Agnes Olson and Laurette Murfree, the switchboard operator to Carlis
and filing clerk to Mallowe, respectively, added practically the same
information as had the two preceding girls. Mark Paddington, the
detective, had been in frequent communication with each of their
employers. When the young women had concluded their reports and
gone, Blaine telephoned at once to Guy Morrow, his right-hand
operative, and instructed him to watch for Paddington's appearance
in the neighborhood of the little house in the Bronx, where they had
located Brunell, the one-time forger.