The telephone rang again.
A whispered voice responded to the physician’s answering word. Doctor Lukens recognized the tones of the mysterious stranger.
“Do you wish to see me?” came the voice.
“Yes,” replied Lukens almost involuntarily. “I have found—” he glanced at the ring on his finger, then hesitated. “I can tell you when I see you. Can you come here now?”
“Immediately.”
“No hurry,” said Lukens suddenly. “Say within an hour.”
He hung up the receiver.
“That was a mistake,” he murmured. “An hour may be too soon. I should have told him to call back. But then, he might have suspected. Well, it’s a case of trusting to luck.”
He picked up the telephone and called police headquarters. He asked to talk to Joe Cardona. The physician uttered an exclamation of satisfaction when he heard the detective’s voice over the wire.
“Ah! Cardona!” he said in a low voice. “This is Doctor Lukens. I am in Henry Marchand’s house. Can you come right away?”