Here, in this comfortable office, he assembled data and compiled reports in a methodical and efficient manner. The material upon which he was now engaged formed a most interesting problem. It had been gained from numerous sources, and important portions of it had been supplied by agents of The Shadow.
Upon one sheet, Mann had compiled notations in reference to Herbert Brockley. To the police, the death of the wealthy American had become a closed issue. Three Apaches had been implicated in Brockley's murder. Two had been killed while resisting capture. They had died at the hands of Parisian gendarmes. The third was a fugitive in France. But to Rutledge Mann, the matter of Brockley's death was not ended.
The investment broker was marking down facts in reference to Herbert Brockley's history. Briefly, Brockley had been successful in business in New York, and it had not been difficult to trace his contacts. A list of a dozen names comprised the persons with whom he had, at one time or another, had definite dealings.
Outstanding in that list was the name of Sherwood Mayo, the multimillionaire. Brockley and Mayo had been associates in certain mining enterprises, some years before. Details were meager, but they showed a definite connection between the two men. Rutledge Mann drew a line under Mayo's name.
There was apparently no reason why he should choose that one particular name from the list, unless he might have been impressed by Mayo's wealth.
The reason became evident, however, when Mann picked up another sheet that was headed with the name of U. Grant Chadwick.
There were only a few names here; and one of them was that of Sherwood Mayo. Mann had made notations. These stated that Grant Chadwick and the multimillionaire had at one time been partners in the manufacture of safes; but that Mayo had branched out on his own.
The company which Mayo now controlled — the Mayo Safe Lock Co. - was a dominating concern in the industry. The original company — the Holyoke Safe Manufactory — was still in business, and it was assumed that Grant Chadwick had retained a large share of the original stock. Mann took pains to mention that shares of Holyoke stock were not available, although they had been sought by purchasers. The concern, although small, held rights to important patents, some of recent issue, and did a profitable business on that account.
The coincidence of Sherwood Mayo's name on both lists made that name conspicuous.
The importance of the matter became still more noticeable when Rutledge Mann referred to the data that concerned Denby Chadwick.