Next Britz called up the coroner.
"Coroner," he said, "I want you to discharge Beard from prison. Mrs. Collins will be arraigned in Jefferson Market Court this morning and remanded to your custody. She'll have to stay in the Tombs until to-morrow, when I'm going to ask you to continue your preliminary investigation of Whitmore's death. Will you hold court down here?"
"Why all this maneuvering?" inquired the coroner.
"It is necessary," Britz assured him. "We'll solve this case to-morrow, if you help me."
"Very well!" the coroner agreed.
For half an hour Britz devoted himself to the reports of his various subordinates. He learned that Ward had spent the night in his home, while Collins and the detective assigned to guard him, occupied a room in a Broadway hotel. Britz was interrupted in the further perusal of the reports by the doorman.
"Mr. Lester Ward is outside."
"Tell him to wait—and see that he does wait!" directed the detective.
It was a quarter of eleven before Britz was ready to receive his visitor. Ward found the detective with hat and coat on, prepared to leave the building. He had just received a telephone message from one of his men at Delmore Park.
"I'm on my way to the coroner's office," said Britz. "Come along!"