The manager looked through the list of Poldringers, for there were many
entries under the name, most of them being tradespeople. One, of whom
no further information was given, was living in the Xenienstrasse, and
another, without any professional status, in the Ludwigstrasse.
The girls were given in charge, and Wenk went to the Ludwigstrasse. He
came to a lodging-house, looked at the surroundings and inspected the
inside, and then went to the Xenienstrasse. Then suddenly his heart
stood still, for in the Xenienstrasse, at the address given under the
name of Poldringer in the telephone list, he saw on a professional
plate the words
DR. MABUSE,
_Neurologist_.
He hastened away, merely noting the numbers of the houses standing
near. The street consisted of detached villas. A mist swam before his
eyes, and the blood pounded in his pulses; there was a sound as of
pistols in his ears. He had his man. No, he had not got him, but at
last he knew who he was!
Before doing anything else he drove to the prison, for the time Cara
Carozza had demanded had now expired, and what she might tell him would
probably set the seal upon the success of his enterprise.
* * * * *
Early that morning, when it was time for the warder of the women’s
prison to make his first round, the door of Cara’s cell was opened. The
dancer was still asleep. She was shaken by the shoulder and, awaking
quickly, found the warder bending over her, yet it was not the warder,
it was Spoerri. Surely she was dreaming? But no, she was still in
prison. How came Spoerri to her bedside? She put her hand to her eyes
to shut out the vision, and yet she knew in her heart it was reality.
Spoerri was standing there. He said to her:
“Surely you know that I am in league with the warder?” She nodded.
“Then you know, too, that he told me what happened yesterday when the
State Attorney came to see you?”
“What did he tell you?” the girl asked breathlessly.
“That you are going to betray the master!”
The dancer sprang out of bed. “Who says so?” she shouted.
“Please don’t talk so loudly. The warder says so.”
“It is a lie.”
“The warder would have no interest in lying.”
“Did he tell the doctor so?” she asked anxiously, and Spoerri lied in
answer:
“Yes, of course he did, and the doctor sent me to you.”
“It is a lie,” cried Cara again, on the verge of tears; “I was going to
save him!”
“How can you prove that?”
“I was going to save him, I tell you. Spoerri, danger is threatening
him.”
“Danger is always threatening him. That’s mere nonsense. Can you prove
what you say?”
Cara hastily related what had passed between her and Wenk. Spoerri
answered indifferently:
“I mean, can you prove it beyond all shadow of doubt? But be quick,
please, for I must get away from here in five minutes.”
“What can I do to make the doctor believe me?” asked the girl in
despair.
“I must tell you that the doctor is very disturbed, for he could not
have believed it of you.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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