Ransom."
The latter turned sharply aside. The shame of the thing was becoming
intolerable.
"And this woman wearing those yellow furs and the blue veil visited the
man of the broken jaw?" inquired Gerridge.
"Yes, sir."
"When?"
"About six this afternoon."
"And where?"
"At the hotel St. Denis where I have since tracked him."
"How long did she stay?"
"About an hour."
"In the parlor or--"
"In the parlor. They had a great deal to say. More than one noticed them,
but no one heard anything. They talked very low but they meant business."
"Where is this man now?"
"At the same place. He has engaged a room there."
"The man with the twisted jaw?"
"Yes."
"Under what name?"
"Hugh Porter."
"Ah, it was Hazen only five hours ago," muttered Ransom. "Porter, did you
say? I'll have a talk with this Porter at once."
"I think not to-night," put in the detective, with the mingled authority
and deference natural to one of his kind. "To-morrow, perhaps, but
to-night it would only provoke scandal."
This was certainly true, but Mr. Ransom was not an easy man to dominate.
"I must see him before I sleep," he insisted. "A single word may solve
this mystery. He has the word. I'd be a fool to let the night go by--Ah!
what's that?"
The telephone bell had rung again. A message from the office this time.
Pages:
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37