Clancy’s answer was ready.
“If Senator Meiklejohn comes here within half an hour, see that the lady is told at once,” he said. “If he doesn’t show up in that time, send for Mr. Forrest, tell him that Mr. Tower has met with an accident, and leave him to look after the lady.”
“Wow! Is it serious? Why wait?”
“The slight delay won’t matter, and the Senator can handle the situation better than Forrest.”
Clancy gave some telephonic instruction to the man on night duty at headquarters. He even dictated a paragraph for the press. Then he went straight to bed, for the hardiest detectives must sleep, and he had a full day’s work before him when next the sun rose over New York.
He summed up Meiklejohn’s action correctly. The Senator did not communicate with Mulberry Street during the night, so Clancy was an early visitor at his apartment.
“The Senator is ill and can see no one,” said the valet.
“No matter how ill he may be, he must see me,” retorted Clancy.
“But he musn’t be disturbed. I have my orders.”