The next report from which I will quote is Sadie's. It contained an
unpleasant surprise. In order to make it clear I must briefly explain
the arrangements of the International Detective Bureau. We had three
offices en suite on the sixth floor of a building on West Forty-Second
street. The door of the first room faced the elevators, and upon it
was lettered our sign. Within was a neat railing, behind which sat
Peter Keenan the ostensible head of the establishment, and an
ornamental stenographer. The door to the adjoining room was hidden
behind a tall file.
The second little room was supposed by the employees to be Keenan's
private office, but in reality it was designed as a sanctum for Sadie.
There was a telephone here by which she might talk to me in safety.
Sadie had her own door on the corridor and was never seen in the front
room.
The third office which was at right angles to the first and second was
intended for the operatives in general when we were obliged to have
them in. They were not supposed to come in without being instructed to
do so. The other operatives looked on Sadie as one of themselves, and
considered Keenan the boss. The door to the third room opened on a
side corridor so that the men were never seen around the front office.