Howard Blake had pulled a pad and pencil from his pocket. He marked down a series of numbers, one for each buzz that had occurred. Then he went to the telephone and looked at the dial.
The sounds that he had heard were disturbances created by the use of a dial telephone located in the same apartment house.
The advertising man had gauged the sounds accurately. From the dial of the telephone, he figured the name of the exchange and the number of the telephone which had been called.
Then he consulted a special directory; one which was listed by numbers instead of names. In a few minutes, he had located the address of the number which had been called.
Sitting in his own apartment, Howard Blake had learned the telephone number and the address of Mike Larrigan’s hideout! For the disturbance on the radio had been caused when Mike Borrango had put in his call to the gang leader.
Howard Blake smiled as he left his apartment. Reaching the street, he called a taxi and rode to Marmosa’s Cafe. There he obtained a table on the balcony.
After he gave the order, he went to a pay station in the corner of the balcony. He drew out the slip of paper which bore his notations, and called the number.
It was Mike Larrigan who answered. But the voice that spoke to him was not the voice of Howard Blake. It was the voice of Nick Savoli’s enforcer.
Howard Blake, speaking over the telephone, gave a perfect impersonation of Mike Borrango!
“That you Larrigan?” questioned the smooth, soft voice. “This is Mike Borrango. I have made a change in the plans for tonight.”