A few minutes later the driver might have been seen entering a near-by drug store and going into the telephone booth. Without a moment's hesitation he called up the Dodge house and Marie, Elaine's maid, answered.
"Is Jennings there?" he asked. "Tell him a friend wants to speak to him."
"Wait a minute," she answered. "I'll get him."
Marie went toward the library, leaving the telephone off the hook. Dan was washing the windows, half inside, half outside the house, while Jennings was trying to be very busy, although it was apparent that he was watching Dan closely.
"A friend of yours wants to speak to you over the telephone, Jennings," said Marie, as she came into the library.
The butler responded slowly, with a covert glance at Dan.
No sooner had they gone, however, than Dan climbed all the way into the
room, ran to the door and looked after them. Then he ran to the window.
Across and down the street, the Clutching Hand was gazing at the house.
He had seen Dan disappear and suspected that the time had come.
Sure enough, there was the sign of the hand. He hastily got out of the car and hurried up the street. All this time the chauffeur was keeping Jennings busy over the telephone with some trumped-up story.
As the master criminal came in by the ladder through the open window,
Dan was on guard, listening down the hallway. A signal from Dan, and
Clutching Hand slid back of the portieres. Jennings was returning.
"I've finished these windows," announced Dan as the butler reappeared.
"Now, I'll clean the hall windows."