There was no question now but that Joe Hamsa had been the man Bob had seen on the station platform, and the suspicious feeling Bob had held toward him from the beginning was strengthened.
“I’m going forward to talk with Hamsa,” he told Tully, and he started ahead through the train as fast as he could walk.
When he reached the diner the steward was turning down the lights.
“I’m looking for a dark, heavy-set fellow who was wearing a black slicker,” said Bob. “He belongs in car 43.”
“He left not more than two or three minutes ago,” replied the steward. “You should have met him, for he started back into the Pullmans.”
Bob shook his head.
“I just came from car 43 and he couldn’t have passed me.”
“He might have turned around and gone up into the coaches,” said the steward. “I’ve been busy in the kitchen checking with the chef. You might look up ahead.”
Bob went up into the day coaches and found the train conductor in the forward car. There were three day coaches on the train and the conductor was busy making out his reports.
The young federal agent wasted no time in identifying himself.