“You say.”
“Obviously, Chick, it would have been to take quarters in the hotel, seeking apartments convenient for the job and pretending to be a reputable person. Not only could Clayton’s daily habits in the house then be observed, but suspicion after the crime would also be averted.”
“Why so?”
“Because old residents in a hotel are seldom suspected under such circumstances. Recent guests are the ones who incur distrust.”
“That also is true, Nick.”
“Furthermore, no doubt, the crooks have reasoned that no connection would be suspected between this crime and the abduction episodes of more than three months ago.”
“Nor would it have been, Nick, if Clayton had not mentioned the strange circumstances to us.”
“Possibly not. Nothing definite, at all events, would have been deduced from them,” said Nick.
“Gee! it strikes me, chief, that we ought to derive some advantage from all this,” said Patsy.
“I think that we can.”