If what Snags had said was true, then indeed would the murderer have just the information he wanted in the event of Carlos making public the contents of the missing fragment.
At that instant he wondered if he could not convey a caution to Carlos in some way. But he did not betray these thoughts to Roake. Despite the fact that his brain was suddenly beset by a new train of reflection, he maintained his indifferent air.
Roake finally turned to go saying:
“If he does show it, I’ll know what there is of it. I read the papers.”
Leonard called him back.
“I should like to get a message to my cousin, in some way. I’ll give you ten dollars if you will have it delivered.”
“Ten dollars!” contemptuously. “That’s nothing to me, young man. I made a haul of a thousand last night. No, you shall send no message to him!”
Roake refused to listen to the urgent appeal that Leonard was about to make, but went from the apartment quickly and left the prisoner alone.
“This affair grows in mystery,” thought Leonard. “Where am I, and who are these ruffians to whom intelligence of the arrest of Carlos comes so quickly? There must be some secret villainy going on right under the very shadows of orderly society. I’ll find out all I can about it.”
He then reflected long and intently, striving to devise some plan of conveying a message to Carlos. That his captors could serve him in this way, if they chose, he was convinced. It was evident that they had some means of quick communication with Dalton, else how could they so soonhave learned that Carlos had been taken into custody? But he was equally sure that they would not permit him to send any message that would expose or implicate themselves, or put Carlos on his guard. Still he was powerless without their aid, and must contrive some way to bribe or deceive them. The former, he felt would be impossible; the latter might be accomplished.