“I’ll match you this time,” said Tom. We matched again, and again Tom won.
“Then one of my eight shutters is the trump card,” exclaimed Tom. “I’ll number them one to eight, and then pass the bunch around so we can each pick the two that look like winners. Then I’ll pass the signs to pick a second choice.”
Dorothy, in her gray gown of shimmering silk, her face flushed with the excitement of the decision, pored over the little list carefully for some minutes before she returned them to Tom, who passed them on to me, remarking briefly, “I made up my mind when I picked the eight out of the bunch.” Three times over I read the list which told of blinds dropping on still days and injuring passers-by. Tom had eliminated the accounts which told of signs and shutters blown off in gales. It might easily happen that a gale and the escape of the destructive power would occur simultaneously, but the unusual was the thing we were after; there, most of all, would lie the clue we sought. At last I came to a decision and looked up. “One in the first lot and three in the second,” I said.
“One and three,” echoed Dorothy.
“The same,” said Tom. “Great thing to be unanimous. Read ’em aloud, Jim.” I obeyed.
“‘A shutter which fell from a house on Gower Street, just off Tottenham Court Road, struck a passing laborer yesterday morning, and inflicted injuries of so grave a character that he was immediately removed in an unconscious condition to the hospital. His identity has not yet been established.’ That’s number one.”
“‘A large sign which fell from a second story at Chelsea yesterday broke in pieces on the sidewalk beneath, but fortunately inflicted no serious injury.’ That’s number three. Which do we choose?”
“Both of those look rather good to me,” answered Tom. “But I think the one near Tottenham Court Road looks best. The chances of finding the man’s laboratory would be greater in Bloomsbury than farther out.” Dorothy nodded her approval.
“All right,” I said, as we rose. “The corps will move upon Bloomsbury at dawn, under command of General Dorothy Haldane.”