“Floyd might send a bullet into Nick, in that case, before he could be prevented. There’s a better way.”
“What way?”
Chick held up one of the small panes of the skylight. He had found the putty dry and crumbling, and, after a moment, he had quietly removed the pane. Feeling through the opening, he then found that he could release the hook that secured the scuttle.
“That upper floor is less than seven feet below the skylight,” he whispered. “We can let ourselves down to it without a drop. The noise down there will prevent our being heard, providing we are careful. There must be a stairway to the lower floor. We can steal down and hold up the whole gang.”
Patsy nodded his approval.
“Better way is right,” he murmured. “It looks like soft walking.”
“It will enable us to protect Nick, also.”
“That’s the stuff. Safety first.”
“Are you ready?”
“Ready as a trivet.”