“All the same, who knows but that these radicals lost their faith in the postal service at the last moment and decided to take matters in their own hands? Who will say that they might not have hired an airplane that night to bring Curlie down? There are plenty for hire. I am told that big crooks leave the city often in airplanes. Who knows but that it was their man who trailed Curlie and took the package from him? His identification of the man is far from complete.”
“But there is the note to Grace Palmer saying that the one-eared man is the man.”
“Might not mean a thing. You have no notion of the length those crooked ones will go in order to cast suspicion on one enemy or throw another off the track. Perhaps in this case they feel they have succeeded in doing both.”
“You told me a few days ago that you had been mixing a little with the radicals.”
“I have.”
“Believe in their stuff?” Johnny asked anxiously.
“No. They can’t think straight. No use following people like that.”
“But you’re still in good standing with them?”
“I suppose so.”
“Then why not keep an eye on that angle of the case? Go to a meeting. Listen to their talk. They may let something slip. If one of their members took the package from Curlie, you may find it out. If they did not get the package there will be more and more of a row about it, I’d say. They should be like a nest of disturbed bumble-bees.”