"There's a friend of mine a jewel-broker next door," she went on,
nodding towards the adjoining room. "His business is so full of risks
from thieves, you know, that he decided the best way to fool them would
be to take an humble little office in this building without so much as
an extra lock on the door to give warning."
Lorina only handed out this line of talk to save her face. I was not
expected to believe it. These people are never frank with each other,
even when there's nothing to be gained by bluffing. It is only when
the men have been drinking that things are called by their right names.
"My friend needs an assistant, a diamond expert," Lorina continued.
"For a couple of months now, he's been at his wit's end to find a man
he could trust. Jumbo said you were just the man for the job so I
recommended you, and my friend told me to bring you around."
I nodded sagely to all this palaver. "Am I to give up my job at
Dunsany's?" I asked, hoping that the answer would be in the affirmative.
"No," she said. "That's a good thing, too. This new job will only
take an hour or two in the evenings and on Saturday afternoons."
She arose and tapped in a peculiar way on the door that led into the
adjoining office. Some one got up within, and unlocked and opened it.
Fortunately as a result of all that has happened during the past few
weeks I have my nerves under strict control, for I got a shock. There
stood Freer, the missing ex-head of my pearl department!
We were introduced. Freer saw nothing suspicious in my aspect. There
was a lot of palaver which I will not tire you with. The upshot of it
was that I was engaged to assist my late assistant at a handsome
salary. For the present I was to work from 5:15 to 6:30 every evening,
as well as Saturday afternoons, and Sunday mornings if necessary.
"I do not like to work late at night," said Freer nervously. "It
attracts attention."
Freer undertook then and there to explain my duties. "My work is with
the pearls," he said, "and the diamond end of the business has been
neglected since I lost my last assistant two months ago."
"He died," remarked Lorina with a peculiar look at me.