"Carlson changed the film in that light, putting in one which would deliver two more of the Eye's messages--one of which went to Delancy, telling him to come to a meeting tonight." Black Hood propped one foot on a laboratory stool, rested an elbow on his knee. His eyes were bright, his face animated. "Don't you see that up to that point, Carlson was the Eye. But shortly after he had planted the signal device for his messenger to pick up, Carlson was murdered. The man who directed the criminal meeting later on wasn't Carlson, because Carlson was dead. It means that somebody took over where Carlson left off. It means that somebody muscled in on Carlson's little racket, killed Carlson, began playing the part of the Eye." "Which means," the Hermit said, "that you're not at the end of your task yet." "Not by a long shot," Black Hood replied. "And I'm wondering about this Vida Gervais. Is she the woman whose face powder was smeared on Jack Carlson's lapel? I thought the odor of the powder was familiar. And here's another thing I didn't mention." Black Hood searched the pockets of his wide belt, brought out his fountain pen. "Here's a little item which I snitched from the hand of the murdered Biggert, who was William Weedham's personal secretary. It's a check, and I've scarcely had time to look at it myself." He unscrewed the cap of the fountain pen and removed the piece of rolled up yellow paper which he had taken from the dead Biggert's hand. He flattened out the slip of paper and placed it on the table in front of the Hermit. It was a check in the sum of forty thousand dollars, made out to the order of Major Paxton and signed by William Weedham, the major's brother-in-law. The check had been endorsed and paid through a New York bank. "I think this is the reason that Biggert was killed," Black Hood said. "Weedham said that Biggert was going over his personal bank account, and it's entirely possible that Biggert discovered there was something queer about that check." "A forgery, perhaps," the Hermit suggested. "That was my idea," Black Hood agreed. "Anyway, that gives us a couple of leads--Vida Gervais and Major Paxton. And if both of them are knocked off before I can get the truth out of them--" Black Hood laughed without mirth. CHAPTER X _"Stop, Murderer!"_ The following morning, Kip Burland read the early edition of Jeff Weedham's paper, _The Daily Opinion_, with his breakfast coffee. The latest story concerning the criminal exploits of the Eye was headlined: "EYE IS BLACK HOOD"--BURKEY The following story told how A. J. Burkey, filling station operator from a northern suburb, had been held in Tombs prison for questioning in conjunction with the murder and robbery at the Weedham plant. The night before, Burkey had confessed that his boss, the criminal known as the Eye, was actually the Black Hood.