Chick, who had been sitting at his desk in a corner of the room, jumped to his feet as his chief abruptly flung the question at Lampton. Chick was as much surprised as anybody—more so than Lampton appeared to be, for that worthy did not move in his chair, and took the time to inhale a few more puffs of his cigar, before he answered coolly:
“Your word, my dear boy! You promised me you would not do anything of that kind so long as I did what you requested. Well, I’ve done it. You wanted me to bring T. Burton Potter to you, and you have him in your own care. He is in the hospital, it is true. But he’s under your own eye, and you might not have had him if I had chosen to get him away before the fire broke out. I could have done it easily, but I was pledged to you, and, of course, I could not go back on you. I know you will keep faith with me.”
“That is true,” admitted the detective. “It would be better if I had you securely in a cell. But I won’t do it at present.”
“Thanks!”
“I do not concede that you had anything to do with putting T. Burton Potter into my hands—if the young man in the hospital really is Potter—but I will allow you to have your own way about that.”
“It is the truth. That’s why. You know it, too, Mr. Carter. Well, if there is nothing else, I reckon I’ll be going. If you want me again, you can hear of me at the café in Third Avenue, where you found me before. So long!”
With the remnant of the perfecto sticking up from the corner of his mouth, Andrew Lampton strolled to the door, opened it, and disappeared. As the door closed, Chick remarked casually:
“Patsy will see where he goes. I’ve given him a standing order not to lose sight of Andrew Lampton when once he has been here.”
“Quite right!” commended the chief. “Now we have a lot of our work to do all over again! I believed I really had Howard Milmarsh and could close up the case. But these rascals have started a new game, and we shall have to see it through.”
“You don’t believe it is really T. Burton Potter who is in the hospital, do you?” asked Chick.