“Same here,” Walker said dejectedly. “They made a good job.”
At five o’clock Ted left home for downtown. He stopped off to buy some of the late editions of the newspapers and proceeded to the meeting-place. He made his rounds through several buildings and at last reached that particular one.
There was no one watching, however. With Strong out of the way the Germans felt quite secure.
At five-thirty he had already let himself into Room 420 and was preparing to make himself comfortable. He picked up the dictaphone every few minutes, but for a long time heard nothing. Things seemed quiet and he began to wonder where Strong and Walker were, what was delaying them. His heart was going at a great rate because of the forced quiet and the excited state of his mind.
Things would depend on him if the two men did not come. Would he be able to carry out the plans?
“I can only do my best,” the boy said to himself. And there was a strong determination to make that best count.
It was now half past seven. He lifted the dictaphone oftener. Very soon he heard voices, very indistinct, but as he listened they became clearer and clearer. Then he began making out the words and the sense of the conversation.
“Yes,” said one voice. “We found out that this man Jones, who was Winckel’s butler, was one of their men. He dropped a card which young Winckel found. That was enough to warrant his being watched, although we did nothing for several days except to see that he got no further information.
“Today, at the point of a gun, we forced him to write a note to Strong telling him that there was to be a meeting at Winckel’s house at four-thirty and that he could get him in. Strong with another man came. We trapped them, bound them and they are now in the cellar out of harm’s way.”
Ted welcomed the information. At least he knew just what to expect.