Their footsteps made no noise on the heavy carpet and they traversed the corridor in silence. At the entrance to Curtis’ bedroom Hollister bade him a low voiced “good night.”
“Just a second.” Curtis stopped him as he was about to turn back. “Can I borrow a cigarette?”
“Certainly, take these,” and the lawyer thrust a package into his hand. “No, I don’t want any to-night,” and not waiting to hear Curtis’ words of thanks, Hollister hurried away.
The package had been thrust into his hand upside down, and to Curtis’ dismay the cigarettes scattered on the floor before he could catch them. Stooping down he groped around and after some difficulty located the majority of them. He was about to rise when he touched a string partly tucked out of sight under the edge of the strip of carpet which ran the length of all the corridors.
Getting to his feet, Curtis closed his door, then stooped over. The bit of string lay in the corridor directly under the door knob.
Curtis carried the string into his bedroom, closed the door, and making his way to a chair, sat down. First laying aside his cane, he lighted a cigarette, then held up the string and felt it carefully. He judged it to be about six inches in length, of ordinary twine, and one end was tied in a loop which had been neatly cut. Curtis held the two ends of the loop together. Its size proved that it could have been tied over his door knob.
Curtis smoked for many minutes without moving, the twine held suspended in his left hand, and his mind busy with the enigma of the two strings. Why had Fernando denied tying a string to his door knob, so that he, Curtis, might identify his bedroom? Why had the string been cut off, and why, above all, had a string been tied to John Meredith’s door knob? An hour later Curtis undressed and went to bed with the enigma still unsolved.
CHAPTER X
THE SOLITARY INITIAL
Gretchen, the chambermaid, craned her neck over the banisters in her endeavor to find out what was going on in the large square reception hall on the floor below. Her limited knowledge of English prevented her understanding much of what she overheard. The voices grew more indistinct as the speakers moved away, and finally ceased entirely. Gretchen straightened up and rubbed her stiff muscles, then with a backward glance down the corridor toward Mrs. Meredith’s boudoir door, she turned to her right and ran into Susanne.