"I know a lot about that cunning devil!" the colonel said as his face darkened. "But how much is truth, and how much is fiction, I must confess that I do not know. I do not even know what his real name is. No doubt it is one of the dozen or more that we have in his file at the office. But which one I don't know. However—"
The sound of the door buzzer interrupted the colonel. Everybody looked startled for an instant; then Colonel Fraser nodded at Captain Small.
"Haines, no doubt," he said. "Answer it, will you, Small?"
"Yes, sir," the captain said, and went out into the foyer.
He was back in a moment or two with a slightly disappointed frown on his face.
"It's Haines reporting, sir," he said to the colonel. "Save for this apartment the entire building is vacant. They forced entrance into all of them. Not so much as a stick of furniture, sir. They found a Daimler in the garage, and Haines has detailed a man to watch it. The rear door was open, and there's an alley that leads to the street in the next block. No doubt our little friends made their exit that way, and there was a car waiting."
"Of course," Colonel Fraser nodded gloomily. "Too late, again. But I'll lay that blighter by the heels some day soon. Very well, Small. Tell Haines to keep searching around. Might come across something that will help us. I think you'd better lend a hand. I'll be at the office if you want me."
"Very good, sir," Captain Small said, and went out again.
As the man closed the door behind him, Dawson glanced at his wrist watch, and started. The hands showed that the time was well after midnight.
"Migosh!" he gasped. "We've been here for hours. We'll never make that Kingston train, Freddy."