“And, to begin with, we already know that salient fact about him and his present situation; but the point is, we cannot prove anything.” “I know.” “So does he know. And all the time he is laughing in his sleeve at us. He knows that we know—and he doesn’t care a rap.” “That is true enough.” “And why? Simply because he knows also that we cannot establish evidence that would be upheld in a court of law. That has been tried. Jimmy has ceased to be Jimmy and has become Dinwiddie. His position from that point is unassailable.” “I guess you are right about that.” “But, Chick, there never yet was a fortress so impregnable that it did not have its one weak spot; just as the speed of a fleet is determined by the slowest vessel in it, so is the strength of a fort established by its weakest spot; and so is the invulnerability of evidence made vulnerable.” “And you look upon this woman, Juno, as being the weak spot in the armor?” “Precisely.” “Have you ever seen her?” “Not that I know of. The name means nothing, suggests nothing, to me; but a name is of no importance.” “No; the woman may have had a dozen names.” “Well, Chick, I am going to look up that woman. The very circumstance of her being so decidedly in the background just now, when Jimmy was trying to marry that little Remsen girl, assures me that Juno was as deeply concerned in the plot, as Jimmy. If she was as deep in the mud as he was in the mire of it, it follows as naturally as two-plus-two, that Juno not only knew Jimmy before she married him, but that she had lived the same sort of life as he had. I’m going after that woman.” “At once?” “Yes. I’m going to leave Jimmy severely alone and trace the woman; but, first, I’ve got to see her; to have a look at her; to make a sketch of her face.” “What am I to do in the case, Nick?” “I’m going to give you the part that is really most difficult, because it will be less likely to be productive of results,” replied the detective. “Well?” “I’m going to send you out on Jimmy’s track. I want you to start at the island.” Chick nodded. “I understand,” he said. “You want me to go there and see what can be found concerning the supposed death and burial of Jimmy.” “Exactly. When the time comes to bring forward the proofs which I am confident that we shall find—the stronger we are in that quarter the better it will be for us.” “I see. I’m to keep on that lay, no matter whether I succeed in digging up anything or not.” “Exactly. Patsy will go with you and assist you.” “You mean that you will work alone?” “Not entirely alone. I think I will call upon Nan for assistance. But I want you and Chick to bear in mind just one thing.” “What is that?” “No matter what comes to the office in the way of cases, everything is to be turned down and put aside until this one is finished. Every energy of this office, yours, Patsy’s, and mine, is to be devoted to putting Bare-Faced Jimmy behind the bars. Understand that?” “Yes. Thoroughly.”