Loris lifted her eyes beneath her down dropping lashes. She smiled with tiny puckerings at the corners of her mouth. The glance was so archly sweet that Drew felt it was more than a reward. He caught her mood and hastily dashed off his signature across the back of the check.
“You present it to them,” he said. “Take it with my compliments to the treasurer of your own division. I’ll venture they will not question the signature.”
Nichols’ hand crept out. It clasped over Drew’s fingers in a soldier’s grip. The two men faced each other. Drew reached up his left arm and patted the captain on the shoulder. “Two bars,” he said. “I hope to see stars there,” he added sincerely. “Stars, when you come back from the conquest of Berlin.”
“They’ll be there!” declared Loris with flashing eyes. “Harry will get them!”
Delaney peered through the portières despite his instructions to the contrary.
“All set, Chief,” he said. “I hear Fosdick downstairs.”
“Coming,” said Drew, as he turned away from Loris and Nichols.
The two detectives paused in the center of the room. The mound under the splendid rug held their eyes for a fleeting moment. The ends of the telephone wires lay across the hardwood floor. They glanced at these.
“No trace!” said Drew. “We needn’t tell Fosdick much. Come on!”
Delaney held out the detective’s coat and hat. Drew thrust his arms into his silk-lined sleeves, pulled the hat down over his eyes and swung as the big operative turned his shoulder.