"That's not much of an answer," objected Frank, in disappointment. "It's the best answer I can give, unfortunately. I _did_ find out something about the red wig. But as for connecting its wearer with the Tower robbery--that is still to come." "You traced the fellow who wore the wig?" "I did. And he turned out to be a well-known criminal--well known to the police, that is." "What's his name?" asked Joe. "Jackley. John Jackley--commonly known as 'Red'." "Because he has red hair?" "No. Because he _hasn't_ red hair. That reverses the usual order of nicknames, I imagine. This fellow Jackley has a fondness for wearing red wigs." "And was he the man who stole Chet's roadster?" "It seems almost certain. I traced the wig, which had been originally stolen from an actor in New York. I traced it to Jackley because his habit of wearing red wigs is well known to the police, and by locating him and keeping a close watch on him and paying a call at his room one night when he was out, I managed to find some of the loot that he had taken when he robbed the actor. That seemed to connect everything up very well." "Where did you find him?" asked Frank. "In New York. He wasn't in hiding, for he hadn't been sought for any particular crime at the time. The police seemed to overlook him in their investigation of the dressing-room theft." "Did you accuse him?" "No. I wanted to learn more. When I found the articles that had been stolen from the actor and knew that the wig found by the roadster had been taken at the same time, I knew Red Jackley was the auto thief. But I wanted to get some information on the Tower Mansion affair if possible. So I took a room in the house in which Jackley was living, and kept a close watch on him." "Did you learn anything?" Mr. Hardy shook his head. "Jackley himself spoiled everything. He got mixed up in a jewel robbery and cleared out of the city. Luckily, I heard him packing up, and I trailed him. The police were watching for him and he couldn't get out by railway--that is, not in the ordinary manner. Instead, he tried to make his escape by jumping a freight." "And you still followed?" "I lost him two or three times, but luck was with me, and somehow I managed to pick up his trail again. He got out of the city, out into New Jersey, and then his luck failed him. A railway detective recognized him and then the chase was on. Up to that time I had been content with just keeping behind him, I had hoped to pose as a fellow fugitive and win his confidence. But when the chase started in real earnest I had to join with the other officers." "And they caught Jackley?" "Not without a chase. Jackley, by the way, was once a railroad man. Strangely enough, he once worked not many miles from here. He managed to steal a railway gasoline speeder and got away from us. But he didn't last long, for the speeder jumped the tracks on a curve and Jackley was badly smashed up." "Was he killed?"