“Certainly not,” was the shrill response. “What do you take me for, Stone? I’m in your pay, am I not? I must earn that forty-five thousand, if I expect to enjoy it. Why should I try any tricks on you?” “That’s all right—why should you?” Stone said more quietly. “I’ll take it if it will fix me up in the way you say. Here goes!” The detective outside held his breath. “Great Scott!” he thought. “I wonder if Follansbee is putting up a job on him, too. He’d be quite capable of it, but it doesn’t seem possible that he’s trying any such tricks so early in the game. If he means to do anything of that sort, I should think he would wait until Stone had killed his partner, or had attempted to do so. To Follansbee’s certain knowledge, that would give the latter a hold on Stone which Follansbee could use to advantage before going any further. I may be mistaken about that, of course. Follansbee does strange things, and may have something up his sleeve which I don’t understand. There’s a chance that Stone is in grave danger at this moment. I doubt it, though, and I’m afraid I can’t help him if he is.” Nick’s main concern was to protect Winthrop Crawford if possible. He pitied Stone much more than he blamed him, because he knew that the man was not responsible for his actions, but Crawford’s life was more important than Stone’s, and a premature interference might spoil the case that was developing against Doctor Follansbee. “That will steady you,” he heard the specialist inform Stone. “I’m off now, and remember that I shall be waiting for you in front of the bank around the corner. I’ll have a car there in readiness at two-thirty. I trust you told the hotel people that you would probably be away to-night?” “Yes, I arranged that. I didn’t see why it was necessary, but——” Had the detective been able to look into the room, he would have found that Follansbee was facing his man, but that Stone was not quick enough to notice the cold flicker that came into the hard eyes. The detective would have perceived it, though, had he been in a position to do so, and would have jumped to the conclusion that the rascally physician had a reason of his own for wanting Stone to join him as soon as the dastardly crime had been committed. “My reason is very obvious,” Follansbee declared in his thin, cackling voice. “I want you to establish an alibi in case something unexpected should happen.” He thrust his face forward. “You don’t want to be electrocuted, do you?” he demanded. “That would be a poor sort of revenge on your partner.” Nick heard the ex-miner draw a deep breath. “Electrocuted!” came the deep, husky voice. “I don’t think I’d care for that. They—they would send me to the chair, though, wouldn’t they, if they found out?” Follansbee knew better than that. He was aware that Stone would escape any such fate owing to his mental condition, but it did not suit his purposes to say so. “As sure as you’re alive!” he answered callously.