"Good enough!" cried Chick, heartily. "I agree with you on every point. Only your long head, Nick, old man, could have deduced such shrewd conclusions; and I believe, by Jove! that you have hit the nail on the head."
"If I have," rejoined Nick, grimly, "we'll drive the nail home a little later, and home to stay."
"That we will."
"There remains one other feature of the case," added Nick, "and, starting from that, we will begin work upon the affair this very night."
"You refer to that Spanish dancer, Cervera?"
"Precisely."
"And the fact that she requested Venner to call at her house this morning?"
"Exactly," nodded Nick. "She fixed the hour, mind you, probably knowing that Venner would comply with her request. Hence there exists a possibility that she designed to get him away from his store at just that time, in order that the robbery could be successfully executed."
"In which case, Nick, we necessarily must figure her in with the Kilgore gang, despite Venner's declaration of her honesty."
"Certainly we must, Chick, in case her note to Venner was written for the purpose mentioned," nodded Nick. "Of that, however, we have no positive evidence. It may have been purely accidental that her note was sent to-day, and mentioned the very hour when the theft was committed. Obviously, in that case, the thief outside was waiting for some opportunity when Venner should be away from his store. Cervera would then be out of the affair, as far as any criminal intent is concerned."