"Do I need to?" I asked. The question seemed reasonable. There she
stood, such a very pretty girl, between her two cavaliers who looked at
each other with all the traditional hostility that belonged to the
situation. She smiled on both, and didn't neglect me. I settled the
matter with,
"Worth has your address; we'll call for you in my machine." And I got
the idea that Cummings was asking questions about it as he went away
holding her arm.
"Do you think the little girl will really be of any use?" I spoke to the
back of Worth's head as he continued to stare after them.
"Sure. I know she will." He shoved his crumpled napkin in among the
coffee service, and we moved toward the desk. "Sure she will," he
repeated. "Wonder where she met Cummings."
CHAPTER V
AT THE ST. DUNSTAN
At the Palace Hotel Sunday morning where I went to pick up Worth before
we should call for little Miss Wallace, he met me in high spirits and
with an enthusiasm that demanded immediate physical action.
"Heh," I said, "you look fine. Must have slept well."
"Make it rested, and I'll go you," he came back cheerfully.
He'd already been out, going down to the Grant Avenue corner for an
assortment of Bay cities papers not to be had at the hotel news-stands,
so that he could see whether our canny announcement of Clayte's fifteen
thousand dollar defalcation had received discreet attention from the
Associated Press.
For my part, our agency had been able to get hold of three women who had
seen Clayte and remembered the event; Mrs. Griggsby; a stenographer at
the bank; and the woman who sold newspapers at the St. Dunstan corner.
Miss Wallace's suggestion had proven itself, for these three agreed with
fair exactness, and the description run in the late editions of the city
papers was less vague than the others. It gave Clayte's eyes as a pale
gray-blue, and his hair as dull brown, eliminating at least all
brown-eyed men. Worth asserted warmly,
"That girl's going to be useful to us, Boyne." I couldn't well disagree
with him, after using her hint. We were getting out of the elevator on
the office floor when he looked at me, grinned boyishly, and added,
"What would you say if I told you I was being shadowed?"
"That I thought it very likely," I nodded. "Also I might hazard a guess
at whose money is paying for it."
He gave me a quick glance, but asked no questions. I could see he was
enjoying his position, up to the hilt, considered the attentions of a
trailer as one of its perquisites.
"Keep your eyes open and you'll spot him as we go out," he said as he
left the key at the desk.
It was hardly necessary to keep my eyes open to see the lurking figure
over beyond the easy-chairs, which started galvanically as we passed
through the court, and a moment later came sidling after us. Little Pete
had left my machine at the Market Street entrance--Worth was to drive
me--and we wheeled away from a disappointed man racing for the taxi line
around the corner.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account