“Why, they knew all about it,” Helen hastened to reply, searching his face apprehensively.
“Knew about it?” he mused, fairly grinding his brows together under the pressure of his agitated thoughts.
“What did you tell them?” he queried steadily, measuring her fresh, young beauty and vowing to himself that whatever struggle impended he was going through with it to the limit of his resources.
“That we were to meet here,” she answered with increasing fear.
“That we were to meet here?” he repeated.
“Yes, at half-past ten––oh, was it something I shouldn’t have told them?” she cried, coming toward him.
Once more Officer 666 snapped the tension. He had wriggled around the staircase and found the suitcase Bateato had packed and left for him. Hating to play the rôle of an eavesdropper any longer than necessary he made a flying start and burst into the room.