“‘A meeting is to be held at W.’s house. If you will come, can get you in. 4:30!’ It is signed ‘J.’,” she added.
There was a pause. She continued: “It looks as if it comes from Jones. It is his writing, beyond doubt, but he signed his initial instead of his number.”
“I’ll come right over,” Strong answered, and his voice sounded perplexed.
Charles Jones was an operative, employed as a butler by the Winckel household. He had so often given proof of profound stupidity in everything except his duties in the household that Herr Winckel would have laughed at any suspicion of his being anything else but a butler. Herr Winckel was so fond of saying and repeating that the man had a butler mind it could never grasp anything outside of that.
In reality, Jones was shrewd, keen, able to obtain information without creating suspicion. He had been one of Strong’s best men and the latter felt he could count on him.
Could it be a trap, he wondered?
Strong was uncertain as to what he should do. To miss this meeting, which perhaps was important; to go there, on the other hand, and endanger the chances of his getting to that night meeting?
“I wish I knew what to do, Walker.” Together they went over the phases of it as they walked down to the office.
“I’d go,” advised Walker. “You say that the boy could do his part. If they do want you out of the way, should this be a trap, they will hold us until morning; they would not dare hold us any longer. And, if they do, they will not feel the need for carefulness and the boy will thus have a better chance. It works well both ways.”
When they came to the office, Strong read the message again.