As soon as the boy was gone, the detective sprang from the bed.
“You know your duties, do you, Jerome?”
“I’m going to pretend I’ve got you here, whether you’re here or not,” he grinned.
“That’s it; and you’re also to pretend that I’m a mighty sick man.”
“I’ll play the part O. K., sir. Don’t worry about that.”
“I don’t worry about much of anything, Jerome. It’s a waste of energy.”
“You don’t believe in crossing bridges before you get to ’em, then?”
“That depends on the bridge. What is the town of Latimer saying about an attempted murder, in broad daylight, in a great hotel like this?”
“People are talking less about that than they are about the ease with which the man who perpetrated the outrage managed to slip away.”
While Nick was talking with Jerome, he was changing his make-up.