Shortly before Nick left the inspector, a man was brought into the room.
It was Meloy.
He was put in a cell next to that occupied by the wife murderer, and an officer was placed in the cell next to him, so that he could hear if Meloy tried to say anything to the other prisoner.
After Meloy had been locked in the cell, Nick said to the inspector:
“I want to interview that wife murderer. He knows that things are in pretty bad shape for him, and I may be able to get him to tell us something that will shed some light on these murders.”
“What makes you think that you will be able to get anything out of him?” asked the inspector.
“In the first place, he is locked up on a charge that cannot be bailed, and in the second, he will try and get on the good side of the keepers, so that he will be able to get more liberty around the jail, and the last reason is that I shall tell him how some of his companions have turned against him, and that the leader of the gang, Jack Weeden, wanted to take his life.”
“What under the sun could have been the object of the man in wanting to have one of his own gang killed?”
“He may have learned too much of the workings of those high in the council of the gang, and they saw an excellent chance to get rid of him without putting their own lives in jeopardy. They are a desperate and cunning lot.”
Nick took leave of the inspector, and started down toward the ferry.