“She did not. Get home last night? Why, what do you mean? Have you seen her?”
“Seen her? I should say I have seen her. I——” and then common sense returned. “But I may have been mistaken,” I added lamely. It would be a nice state of affairs if I told Mrs. Trevor about finding Natalie and started that lady off denouncing Mrs. Fawcette before our plans were ready.
Mrs. Trevor’s voice was wildly excited now. “Tell me what you mean, Mr. Clayton. Tell me at once please. I——”
And then I was inexcusably rude to a lady. I hung up without a word more. For no matter what I told the lady, it would only start her off on some tack or other that would be likely to interfere with our plans. And Natalie had to be found, and found at once.
As I entered my room, Pride started up from his chair. “She did not get home at all!” he shouted.
“That’s right,” I answered. “I’ve made a mess of it again. And this time—I can’t think—I can’t think what it will mean to her. I—I can’t think about it at all. It will drive me mad!”
He came over to me at that. “Steady, old man. We’ll find her again. I have a hunch we’re going to clear up this whole business in a few days. And then——”
“A few days!” I groaned. “Man, what’s happening to her now?” I flung myself on the bed. “God, if they’ve captured her again, those swine! Man, can’t we do something? Can’t we get in touch with Captain Peters and have Mrs. Fawcette’s house raided? They may be still there and we may be able to find out something from them. Suggest something, will you, for God’s sake!” I was nearly beside myself. “And what about Larry?” I shouted. “He’s probably done for by this time. And I dragged him into this thing.”
“Quiet, old man. Quiet!” Pride came over and put his hand on my arm. “I’ll tell you what we’ll do. I’ll take a look around the Fawcette house and see what’s doing. And I’ll wire the Chief the latest developments. But for the rest we’ll just have to wait.”
I pulled myself together then. “All right,” I answered quietly. “Sorry. But I may as well tell you that Miss Van Cleef is to be my wife, even though she may not know it yet.”