"How should I know?" "Wasn't that what you were working on?" "That's my affair." Detective Smuff and Chief Collig looked at one another. "You ain't co-operatin'," complained Chief Collig. "You're goin' to put us to a whole lot of worry and expense just because you won't give us a little co-operation." "Just what do you mean?" "Detective Smuff and me was thinkin' of goin' over to the hospital where this man Jackley is and givin' him the third degree about the Tower case." Fenton Hardy's lips narrowed into a straight line. "You can't do that. The doctor won't let you see him." "We're going to try, anyway. There's a train at seven o'clock, and we aim to have a talk with this fellow Jackley to-night." Mr. Hardy shrugged his shoulders. "Go ahead. It means nothing to me. But if you take my advice you'll stay away. You'll just spoil everything. Jackley will talk when the time comes." "Oh, ho!" said Detective Smuff triumphantly. "Then there _is_ something to it, hey?" "I knew there was," said Chief Collig. "Come on, Smuff. We'll make this man Jackley talk yet. We're officers of the law, we are, and I'd like to see any doctor keep us from doin' our duty." He mopped his brow again, put on his hat, nodded to Fenton Hardy, and clumped out of the room. Detective Smuff, putting his notebook into his pocket, followed. The door closed behind them. Mr. Hardy sat back with a gesture of despair. "They'll spoil everything," he said. "They're just so clumsy that Red Jackley will close up like a clam if they try to make him talk." "Perhaps," remarked Frank significantly, "they'll miss their train." At that moment the telephone rang. Mr. Hardy answered it. "Hello--yes, this is Fenton Hardy--yes--oh, yes, doctor--he is--well, well--is that so?--won't live until morning--I can see him?--fine--thank you--good-bye." He put back the receiver. "There," he said wearily, "just my luck! Red Jackley is dying, and the doctor says I can see him to-night. But Collig and Smuff will have first right to talk to him, for they are officials and I'm only a private detective. If Jackley confesses, they'll have the credit for it." "They'll just have to miss their train," said Frank. "Come on, Joe. Let's see what we can do." CHAPTER XV THE CHIEF GETS A BOMB "What's up now?" asked Joe, when the Hardy boys had left the house. "Chief Collig and Detective Smuff must miss that train." "But how?" "I don't know just yet, but they've got to miss it. If they reach the hospital to-night they'll interview Jackley first. One of two things will happen. They'll either get a confession and take all the credit for clearing up the case, or they'll go about it so clumsily that Jackley will say nothing and spoil everything for dad."