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Page 51
He stood up and pulled down the roller-top violently. The crash of it
sent every clerk, bookkeeper and stenographer huddling over his or her
work. Two bangs all in one morning? What had happened to the coffee
market? As a matter of fact, coffee fell off a quarter point between
then and closing; which goes to prove that the stock-market depends
upon its business less in the matter of supply and demand than in
"signs."
On board the yacht Killigrew laid the affair before Crawford.
"What do you believe?"
"I've reached the point," said Crawford, "where I believe in nothing
except this young lady," and he laid his hand over his wife's. "For
ten years I had a valet named Mason. I would have staked my life on
his integrity, his honesty. He turned out to be an accomplished rogue.
Went with me into the wilds of Africa and Persia, through deserts,
swamps, over mountains; tireless, resourceful, dependable; and saved my
life twice. Its knocked a hole in my faith in mankind."
"Listen here," said Haggerty. "Without your knowing it, he always
carried a bunch o' first-class skeleton keys. I'm dead sure he was
working his game all th' time. He came back for them keys, but he
didn't get 'em. He's in New York somewheres. D' y' think y' could
recognize him if y' saw him?"
"Instantly."
"A man can change his looks in two years," said Forbes. "Remember File
Number 113?"
"This is real life, Mort; not a detective story."
"How would you recognise him?"
"That I'm unable to explain. It's what Haggerty here calls a hunch."
Haggerty nodded. "An' if y' depend on 'em y' generally land. I've
made some mistakes in my time, not believing in my hunches. This Webb
business goes t' show. I had a hunch that something was wrong, but
your Webb had such a kid face, th' hunch pulled for him. Well, if y'
ever see Mason again, what'll y' do?"
"I don't know. It's a tough proposition. Somehow or other, I want to
be quits with Mason. I want to wipe out those obligations. If I could
do that, the next time I saw him I'd hand him over."
"You're a sentimental duffer, Crawffy," said the artist, smiling.
"And I shouldn't love him at all if he wasn't," the wife defended.
"But this Webb affair doesn't add up right," said Killigrew morosely.
"There's th' hull game," declared Haggerty. "It's nothing but adding
an' subtracting, this gum-shoe work. Y've got t' keep at it till it
adds right. Y' don't realize, Mr. Crawford, how many times I almost
put my hand on your shoulder; but y' didn't add up right. I shan't go
at Webb like a load o' bricks. I'll nose around first. Take a peek
int' his belongings while you folks keep him busy downstairs. No
sapphires, no Thomas; I'll let it go at that. But how was this man
Jameson t' know anything about sapphires if they wasn't any?"
"I've known Kitty Killigrew ever since she was born," said Killigrew
dryly. "I've yet to see her make a mistake in sizing up a man. She
picks 'em out the way I do, right off the bat. The minute you dodder
about a man or a woman, there's sure to be something' to dodder about.
Good lord! you don't suppose he had a hand in these other burglaries?"
"Can't say 's I do," answered Haggerty, reaching for his lemonade.
"You wait. I'll have it all cleared up by midnight, 'r they'll be a
shake-up at Central t'-morrow. Something's going t' happen; feel it
like a sailor feels a storm when they ain't a cloud anywheres. Now,
let's see what y' know about auction pinochle, Mr. Killigrew. No use
moping."
The yacht dropped anchor off shore at five. The beach was deserted.
Doubtless the guests were catnapping or reading. At the Killigrew
villa one did as one pleased. Mr. and Mrs. Crawford were shown to
their rooms at once, and Haggerty prowled about the stables and garage.
Kitty knocked at Mrs. Crawford's door half an hour later.
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