He answered and took his pencil, wrote upon a memorandum pad and repeated:
“Medicine, Ward A—7 & 8, Ward B—11, and 5th floor, rooms 502 & 514. Thank you.”
“An unknown accident case, with a heart ailment, Mr. Higgins, picked up on the street and admitted through the accident room, would undoubtedly be placed in Bed 11, Ward B. Ward A, which has two vacant beds, is medical men, and floor five is private rooms. You are too well-dressed, though, Miss Parkins.”
“If her pocketbook contained only one dollar and she had no addresses upon her person, Doctor?”
“They would not take a chance on someone paying for a private room, Mr. Higgins. You are right. The only chance is whether she can pass the accident staff, as I see it.”
“That is a chance we have to take,” Mr. Higgins decided.
He looked at his wrist watch and said:
“One more question, Doctor, and then, with your permission I should like to have some private place where I may talk to Mr. Smooty and Miss Parkins before we turn Miss Parkins out upon the street and you take Mr. Smooty to the head orderly.
“Two more questions, now I think of it. The first: How is the hysteria throughout the hospital? The second: You expect, of course, that Mr. Smooty will be suspected as a detective?”
“Since the last question has the shortest answer, I will go to that first. That seems to me unavoidable, Mr. Higgins, and perhaps will work to our advantage. It will focus attention, from the nursing, medical and menial staffs, upon one person.