"By Ginger, I'd forgotten! Another county heard from; it's coming in from all sides."
So Pancha's experience was added to the case against Mayer, and breasting the hills, the young men talked it over, Crowder leaping to quick conclusions, impulsive, imagination running riot, Mark more judicial, confining himself to what facts they had, warning against hasty judgments. The talk finally veered to the Alston's and Mark had a question to ask that he had not liked to put to Fong. He moved to it warily—did Mayer go to the Alston house often, was he a constant visitor?
"Well, I don't know how constant, but I do know he goes. I've met him there a few times."
"He hasn't been after either of them—his name hasn't been connected with theirs?"
"Oh, no—nothing like that. He's just one of the bunch that drops in. I was jollying Chrystie about him the other night and she seemed to dismiss him in an offhand sort of fashion."
"He oughtn't to go at all. He oughtn't to be allowed inside their doors."
"Right, old son. But there's no good scaring them till we know more. He can't do them any harm."
"Harm, no. But a blackguard like that calling on those girls—it's sickening."
"Right again, and if we get anything on him it's up to us to keep them out of the limelight. It won't be hard. He only went to their house now and again as he went to lots of others. If this Chinese story pans out as promising as it looks, then we can put Lorry wise and tell her to hang out the 'not at home' sign when Mr. Mayer comes around. But we don't want to do that till we've good and ample reason. Lorry's the kind that always wants a reason—especially when it comes to turning down someone she knows. No good upsetting the girl till we've got something positive to tell her."
Mark agreed grudgingly and then they left the Alston sisters, to work out the best method of discovering what took Boyé Mayer to Sacramento and what he did there.