"Can't tell you over the phone. It's too important. Say, Mr.
Robinson, I got what you sent me after all right."
"Good boy!"
"Want me to come to the hotel?"
Jack not knowing if Bobo and Miriam would be out of the way, said "No."
He considered a moment. "Meet me at Harmon Evers' shop, number -- East
Twenty-Ninth street. In half an hour."
The half hour gave Jack time to get to Evers' and change his make-up.
It was not yet eight o'clock.
Evers evinced a strong interest in Tommy when he arrived. "Comical
little fellow, isn't he?" he said. "That wiry, blonde hair betokens an
enterprising character. These boys of the street learn to think for
themselves early."
Tommy and Jack did not discuss their business of course, until they had
left the shop. Outside Jack said:
"Do you mean to say you have spotted the house where the old man lives?"
"Not where he lives, but where he changes his clothes."
"Good man! Where is it?"
"Forty-Eighth street, near Seventh avenue."
"We'll go there," said Jack, and looked up and down for a taxi-cab.
"You can tell me the whole story on the way. We'll stop at the
Madagascar for a gun and a pair of handcuffs in case we meet our
friend."
When they were seated in the cab Tommy began his story. "I was
thinking over everything you told me, and it seemed to me I wouldn't
have a very good show to trail the old man by myself. Maybe he knew my
face you see, and anyway the uniform was a give away. So I got my
cousin to help me. He ain't working now. He's bigger'n me. We're
going partners in the detective business when we get the coin to open
up an office."
"I described him the man I was after, and placed him acrost the street
from the office, with instructions to follow me if I come up, and pick
up the trail if I had to drop it."
"Well, about half past two yes'day, old man come into the office for
his package all right. Soon as I see him I slides out and waits for
him outside. Say he was cagy all right. He had a hunch he was being
trailed. Dodged in one door of the Knickerbocker and out again by
another. In the Forty-Second street building he tried to shake me by
riding in different elevators, but I stuck to him all right. Me cousin
was right there too, with his tongue hanging out."
"He took to the Subway next. Got on an up-town local at Grand Central.
I got in the next car because I thought he might reco'nize me, but me
cousin sits down right opposite him. Well after we left Times Square
station he comes into my car, gives me a hard look, and sits down
beside me. Say, me heart was going like a compressed air riveter."
"He says to me: 'Don't you work at 1118 Broadway?' and I says: 'Yes,
sir.' He says: 'I guess you worked for me sometimes,' and I looks at
him hard and makes out to reco'nize him for the first, and says: 'Yes,
sir.' He says: 'You carried a little package for me up to the Hotel
Beanvenoo yes'day.' I says: 'Yes, sir. The lady was out, so I brung
it back.'"