"WILL MAKE ARREST WITHIN 24 HOURS
"Sensational Developments Promised by David Carroll in Exclusive
Interview with Reporter for The Star."
It all came back to Carroll now. The eager reporter, the news-hunger, his non-committal statements. He read furiously through the story. It proved to be one of those newspaper masterpieces which uses an enormous number of words and says nothing. Carroll was quoted as saying only what he had actually said. It was the personal conjecture of the reporter writing the story which had given spur to the vivid imagination of the headline writer.
"So now," questioned Leverage—"what are you going to do: deny it?"
"No!" snapped Carroll—"I can't. He hasn't misquoted a single line of what I said. It just makes things—makes 'em mighty embarrassing."
He sat hunched in his chair staring at the screaming headlines and re-reading the lurid story. Again an orderly entered.
"Young lady out there," he announced, "who wants to know if Mr.
Carroll is here."
Instantly the mind of the detective leaped to the tragic figure of Naomi
Lawrence. "She wants to see me?" he questioned.
"Yes, sir."
"Show her in." He motioned to Leverage to remain. The orderly disappeared—and in a minute, the door opened and a woman entered. Carroll sprang to his feet with an exclamation of surprise.