He knew he was in the third story of a building, and that the room looked out upon a narrow alleyway between two houses. This he could see from the window, and he saw, too, that he could not reach the fire escape from where he was without great risk. But it was not his intention to remain in the room any longer than he could help it. He raised the sash and measured the distance to the fire escape, upon which he would be safe. The detective studied the situation for a short time, and then dexterously leaped for the escape. His hands caught the irons, and he drew himself upon the platform. There he stopped a little while for breath and looked around. No one seemed to have witnessed his feat, and he congratulated himself in silence that so far he had succeeded almost beyond his expectations. In another minute he was going down the iron rungs of the ladder with the escaping villain in his mind. By that time George Richmond was far away, but the detective hoped still to overhaul him. He gained the street, none the worse for his startling adventure, but, of course, the quarry was gone. A few yards distant on a corner with the lamplight falling upon his figure stood a policeman, and Carter went toward him. The copper had seen a man pass a short time before, and told Nick so. “He went that way a little fast,” said the policeman, pointing down the street, and as Carter started off a carriage came around the corner. The light for a moment fell upon it, and the detective caught sight of a man’s face at the window. He knew it at once--the face of Claude Lamont! CHAPTER XXIV. STARTLING DEVELOPMENTS. Just what the millionaire’s son was doing in that part of the city at that hour Carter could not conceive, but that his mission was not of the most honest kind he did not doubt. The carriage was out of sight in a few moments, and the detective was alone with the patrolman. Seeing that it was not worth while trying to find Richmond in that locality, the detective made his way to his own quarters near Broadway. The moment he opened the door he was surprised to see Billy, the street waif, spring from a couch in one corner of the room and bound toward him. “I’ve got him located now!” cried the boy. “You’ve got who located, Billy?” “The man who gave me the slip the other night on the street.” “Where is he?” Billy told the detective that if he would follow him he would show him the man in question, and Nick obeyed. “Look at the gentleman over there at the table in the corner,” said the boy, when he had taken Carter to a little theater and from a secluded spot in the gallery pointed to a man at a table on the ground floor. “That’s Claude Lamont. This is luck, Billy! When did you see him come here?” “Half an hour ago.” “Well, I’ll take care of him now.” The detective sat down and watched the man below.