When Nick Carter dashed up to the front entrance of Crownledge in his own big touring car, with Danny Maloney at the wheel, he found Claudia Solado on the porch, looking for him. “Oh, Mr. Carter! I’m so glad you have come. He’s gone!” “Who? My assistant?” “Marcos, my cousin.” “What do you mean? That there have been two disappearances?” “Yes. Did they go together?” “We don’t know.” “Where was Marcos when he vanished?” “The last seen of him was when he went into his bedroom to lie down for a nap. He is not strong, and Phillips advised him to take a sleep. He thought that a good idea, and Phillips went with him. My cousin leaned on his arm, and I noticed how pale and weak he seemed as he left the library, where he had been sitting.” “What does Phillips say about the disappearance? How long did he stay in the bedroom?” “Only while my cousin lay down on the outside of the bed, with a quilt over him. Phillips put the quilt on, saw that he was comfortable, and that the electric-bell button, hanging loosely to a wire, was within reach of his hand on the pillow, so that he could call any one he might want without getting up. He told Jason to look in now and then, without disturbing my cousin.” “Who is this Jason? Was he born in Joyalita?” “No. I think he came from New York about a year ago,” replied the girl. “I am not sure. You know, English is the tongue generally spoken in Joyalita, although there is some little Spanish. Jason speaks English, but I fancy I detect a certain twang that you hear from many people in New York, especially those who were born there.” “We’ll have Jason into the library and hear what he has to say,” announced Nick, as he went into that room with Claudia. “Jason has gone!” It was the cool voice of Phillips. He had heard the conversation between Claudia and the detective, and had followed them into the library. “Where’s he gone?” demanded Nick Carter. “I don’t know, sir. I might say, if you please, that I have not been quite satisfied with Jason since we have been here,” ventured Phillips. “Why?” “He has twice, to my knowledge, been away all night, without any one knowing it but me. He seemed very tired when he returned on both occasions. He told me he had been sitting up with a friend of his who was sick, and who lived downtown somewhere.” “Did you prove that to be untrue?” asked the detective. “No, sir. But I took the liberty of examining his trunk one day when I had sent him on an errand that would keep him away for two hours. In the trunk I found two valuable watch movements----” “Watch movements?” “Yes, sir. The cases were not there. Just the movements. I was a watchmaker once, and I know the value of such things, although they are not easily disposed of, except to a watchmaker who might happen to want them.” “I understand,” interrupted Nick. “What else did you find in his trunk? Anything suspicious?”