“It was,� was the quiet reply.
“What? Do you mean that?�
“Yes.� And then the detective gave his assistant a correct account of all that had happened while he was at the apartment house; and, in closing, he said:
“Now, Chick, I have reason to think, from what the McQueen woman said to Madge last night, that nothing would have suited Carleton Lynne better than to put both of those women out of the way. But you can dispose of that idea at once, since you were——â€�
“Unfortunately, Nick, I cannot. I lost him.�
“Lost him?�
“Yes; just that.�
“Where? When? How? Tell me about it.�
“I’ll tell you all I know.�
“Well?�