While he descended in the elevator Jack thought quickly. His thoughts
were not altogether pleasant ones. Evidently "Mr. B." or one of his
agents had seen him watching in the Abercrombie and had taken warning.
If this were so his disguise had been seen through. Jack did not so
much mind the fact that his adversary had given him the slip again, but
he had counted heavily on that disguise. And now the whole structure
that he had built upon it was crumbling.
But he was far from being discouraged. "Mr. B." had had the nerve to
choose the Madagascar. Very well, he would try to call his bluff
there. Since it was his own hotel he didn't have to waste the time to
get there. He could telephone ahead. He hastened to the nearest booth.
He got the desk at the Madagascar. Establishing the fact that the
voice on the wire was that of Baldwin, a clerk well known to him, he
said:
"This is Robinson speaking, Mr. Norman's secretary. Do you recognize
my voice?"
"Yes, sir, certainly, Mr. Robinson."
"Listen carefully. There's a crook trying to pull a little game on Mr.
Norman, and I've framed up a plant to get him with the goods. Do you
get me?"
"Yes, sir."
"There's just been a package delivered to the desk there, or will be
delivered in a few minutes addressed to Mr. Peter Featherstone, to be
called for. No, wait a minute! That name may have been changed--but
I'm sure about the package. It's a small flat package the size and
shape of a bundle of greenbacks laid flat. It's wrapped in a sheet of
white typewriter paper, and tied with a green string. Look and see if
you have such a package there now. I'll hold the wire." Presently the
answer came: "Yes, sir, we have such a package, but it's addressed to
Mr. Amos Tewkesbury."
"That's all right," said Jack. "The name doesn't signify. Now I want
you to keep Connolly the house detective within call, and have him
arrest, as quietly as possible, whoever calls for that package. Keep
the man in the room behind the office until I can get there. I'll go
in by the side door and telephone down to you from our suite. Is that
all clear?"
"Perfectly, sir."
Jack hailed a taxi and had himself carried home, that is to say to
Kate's house, where Mr. Pitman had his ostensible domicile. It was not
the sober Mr. Pitman's habit to employ taxis, but this was an urgent
case. Jack had to remove the Pitman make-up, of course, before he
could show himself around the Madagascar.
He hastily changed to the more elegant attire of the millionaire's
secretary, and then made his way through the vault into Silas Gyde's
old rooms, thence across the corridor to the rear of the state
apartments. Something less than half an hour had elapsed since he had
called up Baldwin.
Bobo was there, moping in a dressing-gown while he waited for lunch
time, the only thing that relieved his heavy hours. He brightened a
little at the sight of some one to whom he might pour out his troubles.
"I wish I were dead!" he groaned.