“Suspicions, no,” said he. “Plans, yes.”
“Namely?” inquired Chick.
“This work is for you and me alone, Chick,” said Nick decidedly. “For the present, both Flood and Harry Royal must remain concealed here.”
“What’s that for?”
“I wish to have it appear that they have fled, as if both of them were parties to the murder. This will serve us in two ways.”
“How so?”
“First, it will set Gerry and the police on a wild-goose chase, and leave the way open to our work and investigations.”
“That’s true, Nick,” nodded Chick. “A good scheme, too.”
“Second,” added Nick, “it will tend to relieve the real criminal of immediate apprehensions, and convince him that he is not suspected. That will make his detection all the easier for us.”
“No doubt of it, Nick.”