“I hope you will not demur over that.”
“Let me ask you a few questions,” said Nick, drawing up in his chair and dropping his burned cigar into a cuspidor. “Are any headquarters men now at work on the case?”
“No, sir. We dropped the last of them to-day.”
“Your store detectives still are at work?”
“Only in line with their customary duties. They would not in any way interfere with your work.”
“I would not permit them to do so,” Nick said, a bit dryly. “It would be even better, perhaps, if they were ignorant of my interest in the matter. Who besides you knows of your intention to employ me on the case?”
“Only my father, Mr. Goulard, and Mr. Lombard. My father and I look after the correspondence and the financial end of the business. Mr. Goulard and Mr. Lombard have entire charge of operations in the store. Goulard is, of course, the chief director. We decided this afternoon to appeal to you for aid. No one else is informed of our intention.”
“Make it a point, then, to inform no one else,” Nick replied. “I will at least look into the matter and see what I can make of it.”
“Ah. I am glad to hear that.”
“Now, Mr. Mantell, when did you first suspect this system of wholesale robbery and begin to investigate it?” Nick inquired.