“Let me tell you one thing!”
“Go ahead.”
“I will not answer a single question until I know who you are.”
“As you please about that.”
The detective’s coolness had the effect aimed at, which was to make the villain more desirous of hearing the communication the other had come to make. In addition to this, his curiosity was excited.
Biting his lip, the villain said:
“I mean it!”
“Do you?”
“Yes.”
“Then I’ve got nothing to tell you.”