“I want you to tail him,” Blaine replied, non-committally. “Find out anything you can of his movements for the past few weeks, but don’t lose sight of him for a minute until to-morrow morning. He’s supposed 126 to be working up the evidence now for the Snedecker divorce, so it won’t be difficult for you to locate him. You know what he looks like.”
“Yes, sir. I know the man himself––if you call such a little rat a man. We had a run-in once, and it isn’t likely I’d forget him.”
“Then be careful to keep out of his sight. He may be a rat, but he’s as keen-eyed as a ferret. I’d rather put some one on him whom he didn’t know, but we’ll have to chance it. I wouldn’t trust this to anyone but you, Guy.”
The young operative flushed with pride at this tribute from his chief, and after a few more instructions he went upon his way with alacrity.
Once more alone, Henry Blaine sat for a long time lost in thought. An idea had come to him, engendered by a few vague words uttered by Anita Lawton in the early hours of that morning: an idea so startling, so tremendous in its import, that even he scarcely dared give it credence. To put it to the test, to prove or disprove it, would be irretrievably to show his hand in the game, and that would be suicidal to his investigation should his swift suspicion chance to be groundless.
The sharp ring of the telephone put an end to his cogitations. He put the receiver to his ear with a preoccupied frown, but at the first words which came to him over the wire his expression changed to one of keenest concentration.
“Am I speaking to the gentleman who talked with me at the working girls’ club?” a clear, fresh young voice asked. “This is Margaret Hefferman, Mr. Rockamore’s stenographer––that is, I was until ten minutes ago, but I have been discharged.”
“Discharged!” Blaine’s voice was eager and crisp 127 as he reiterated her last word. “On what pretext?”
“It was not exactly a pretext,” the girl replied. “The office boy accused me of taking shorthand notes of a private conversation between my employer and a visitor, and I could not convince Mr. Rockamore of my innocence. I––I must have been clumsy, I’m afraid.”
“You have the notes with you?”