“You are mistaken,” insisted Frank. “I have reason to believe that the person who sent the message to the hotel, did so to keep you out of the way until he carried out some new nefarious scheme to block your educational film project.”
“Durham!” almost shouted the professor. “You amaze me. You do not mean that that man who told me his name was Taylor has been playing a new trick on us?”
“Just exactly that, I fear,” replied Frank. “You have certainly been lured away and kept away from the hotel for some purpose.”
“Why,” cried the professor, fully roused, “it’s a new plot to get that satchel!”
“No, not that,” declared Frank. “The satchel is all right. It arrived just before I started in search of you. I got the clerk to place it in the safe and instructed him to deliver it to nobody but yourself.”
“You relieve me greatly, Durham,” declared the professor. “But what could be the object of sending me on this fool errand?”
“I can only guess,” replied Frank, “but I think our enemies are busy on that lease.”
“You don’t mean the big place I’m so anxious about?” questioned the professor, growing excited again.
“Just that,” said Frank, and explained about being followed by Slavin and his confederate and about seeing them in the place afterwards.
The recital had an extraordinary effect upon Professor Barrington. He became greatly excited and wrung his hands. Then, noticing a taxicab coming down the street, he ran out in front of it, heedless of danger.