“He’ll tell her himself, now!”
“No,” corrected Rainey, “he doesn’t know yet there’s to be a seance. Hallowell was writing the note when he left.”
“Then,” instructed Gaylor, “do not let her know until she arrives—until it will be too late for her to back out.”
Vance nodded and, waiting until from the back room he heard the voices of Mannie and Winthrop, he opened the front door and the two men ran down the steps into the street.
While the conspirators were hidden in the vestibule, Mannie had opened the folding doors, and invited Winthrop to enter the reception parlor.
“Miss Vera will be down in a minute,” he said. “If you want your hand read,” he added, pointing, “you sit over there.”
As Winthrop approached the centre table, Mannie backed against the piano. The presence of the District Attorney at such short range aroused in him many emotions. Alternately he was torn with alarm, with admiration, with curiosity. He regarded him apprehensively, with a nervous and unhappy smile.
About the smile there was something that Winthrop found familiar, and, with one almost as attractive, he answered it.
“I think we’ve met before, haven’t we?” he asked pleasantly.
Mannie nodded. “Yes, sir,” he answered promptly. “At Sam Hepner’s old place, on West Forty-fourth street.”