“Keep your mask on, Clink,” he warned. “I need this for a minute.”
He wiped the telephone and took great care to make sure that no telltale finger prints remained. He studied the room carefully.
Satisfied that no clews remained, he motioned to his masked companion.
“Come on, Clink,” said Briggs. He looked at the body of Richard Harkness and laughed. “You should have waited, Clink. He was saying something when you gave it to him. Another stall, I guess.
“Well, Clink” — there was a congratulating tone in the big man’s voice — “there was two of us before tonight. Now there’s three.
“I got mine. Bob got his. Now you’re with us.
“You’re a killer, Clink. The third killer!”
CHAPTER VII
THE PAPER CLEW
“He’s been dead nearly twenty-four hours, inspector,” said the detective.