His suspicions fully confirmed, Banneker drove away. It was now Ives's move, he remarked to himself, smiling. Or perhaps Marrineal's. He would wait. Within a few days he had his opportunity. Returning to his office after luncheon, he found a penciled note from Ives on his desk, notifying him that Miss Raleigh had called him on the 'phone. Inquiring for the useful Ives, Banneker learned that he was closeted with Marrineal. Such conferences were regarded in the office as inviolable; but Banneker was in uncompromising mood. He entered with no more of preliminary than a knock. After giving his employer good-day he addressed Ives. "I found a note from you on my desk." "Yes. The message came half an hour ago." "Through the office?" "No. On your 'phone." "How did you get into my room?" "The door was open." Banneker reflected. This was possible, though usually he left his door locked. He decided to accept the explanation. Later he had occasion to revise it. "Much obliged. By the way, on whose authority did you put a shadow on Judge Enderby?" "On mine," interposed Marrineal. "Mr. Ives has full discretion in these matters." "But what is the idea?" Ives delivered himself of his pet theory. "They'll all bear watching. It may come in handy some day." "What may?" "Anything we can get." "What on earth could any but an insane man expect to get on Enderby?" contemptuously asked Banneker. Shooting a covert look at his principal, Ives either received or assumed a permission. "Well, there was some kind of an old scandal, you know." "Was there?" Banneker's voice was negligent. "That would be hard to believe." "Hard to get hold of in any detail. I've dug some of it out through my Searchlight connection. Very useful line, that." Ives ventured a direct look at Banneker, but diverted it from the cold stare it encountered. "Some woman scrape," he explicated with an effort at airiness. Banneker turned a humiliating back on him. "The Patriot is beginning to get a bad name on Park Row for this sort of thing," he informed Marrineal. "This isn't a Patriot matter. It is private." "Pshaw!" exclaimed Banneker in disgust. "After all, it doesn't matter. You'll have your trouble for your pains," he prophesied, and returned to 'phone Betty Raleigh. What had become of Banneker, Betty's gay and pure-toned voice demanded over the wire. Had he eschewed the theater and all its works for good? Too busy? Was that a reason also for eschewing his friends? He'd never meant to do that? Let him prove it then by coming up to see her.... Yes; at once. Something special to be talked over.