“Of course not, Mr. Carter. They’ll be useful, I dare say.” “I hope so,” put in Patsy. “How about Mr. Clayton?” “I should like to go,” announced Paul Clayton. “I have nothing to do here.” “All right,” agreed Captain Douglas. “There’s room for all of us in the car. Tumble in!” Douglas took the wheel himself, and in a very short time the car stopped at the main entrance of the palace. “Do you think there is anything in this that may help us to get that jewelry?” whispered Paul Clayton anxiously, in Nick Carter’s ear. “It wouldn’t surprise me,” was the guarded reply. “I seem to see Rayne’s hand in this affair, somehow.” CHAPTER XI. READY FOR A CLINCH. When the party entered the big residence, Briggs met them at the door. He was white, trembling, and generally disgruntled. He had no hesitation about admitting the chief of police, but it was not until Captain Douglas had said that his companions were friends of his, and important persons from New York, that he made room for Nick Carter and the others to go in. “Take us to Mr. Portersham’s rooms,” ordered Douglas sharply, in his most official tone. “There is no one in any of them,” returned Briggs. “I have not let anybody go near them this morning. Mr. Morlein is in bed in his room, and the doctor is with him.” “He is not in a serious condition, is he?” “No, sir. I don’t think so. But he hasn’t come properly out of the sleep he was in. He must have had an awfully strong dose of dope, according to what I hear.” “Very likely,” agreed the captain. “We’ll see him later. Where was Mr. Portersham when he saw Senator Garnford?” “In the library.” “I’ll go into the library,” announced Douglas. “The door is locked. I guess Mr. Portersham locked it when he went away. The other rooms are open.” “All right!” Nick Carter did not take any part in this colloquy. He was listening closely, however, and making a mental note of everything that was said. They went into the dining room, bedroom, sitting room, and public office that had been used by Portersham, but not into the library. The door of this last-named apartment was the only one that was closed and fastened. “Haven’t got a key to this door, have you, Briggs?” “No, sir. Mr. Portersham carries it himself, always.” “What do you think, Mr. Carter?” asked the chief of police, in a rather dubious tone. “We’ve got to see the inside of that room,” was Nick’s short response. “Break it open?” “If there is no other way.” “There doesn’t seem to be.” “I might climb up to the window, with a ladder--or without one, for that matter,” volunteered Chick. “That wouldn’t do. Everybody outside would wonder what was going on,” objected Nick Carter. “We don’t want to call general attention to this trouble. Eh, captain?” “Certainly not,” was Douglas’ hurried response. “I should like to shin up to that window,” put in Patsy. “Well, you can’t,” said Chick. “I’ll do it, if it were to be done at all. You can’t have all the fun.”