For a moment the chief sat in startled silence.

Then he whistled.

“Whew!” he exclaimed. “I never dreamed of such a thing. But—I can see it plainly now.”

“The two cases are one.”

“Yes.”

“We can easily undertake your case for you.”

“On my word, this is a surprise,” said the chief. “But this is light upon the mystery. We now know the identity of the victim.”

“Beyond a doubt.”

“It is easy to assume that the young girl was decoyed to Fifteenth street and foully murdered.”

“For what purpose?”