Isabel Ostrander

“ I am only too glad to help you to improve yourself."
"Well, when you've come here on a serious matter like a murder case it seems a silly thing to talk about, but could you tell me, sir, if playing cards have any meaning?"
"Of course," Terhune responded, amused. "From the ancient necromancers down through the centuries they have each, possessed an especial significance of one sort or another to the gullible, but it is too lengthy a subject to go into now. Is there any particular card you have in mind?"
"Yes, sir. The nine of diamonds." ”

“ After a few final orders McCarty, with Dennis in tow, returned to the drugstore and nodding to the surprised clerk he entered the telephone booth and called up Police Headquarters. A long ten minutes elapsed before he reappeared, red and perspiring, and said in a hurried undertone to his companion:
"Yost is on his way up to the Creveling house as fast as the inspector's own car can take him. He's to find out if Hill is there and stand guard over him." ”

“ McCarty explained the circumstances and added: "If Hill fired that shot, whatever would he be doing with that lone card, and why would George Alexander be in league with him? Didn't you see the looks that passed between them and the way they tried to get away for a quiet word together? The old man wants to keep something dark, and 'tis not to save Hill from punishment for murdering his own partner and meal ticket!"
"No. It was to prevent notoriety, if anything," the inspector remarked. ”

“ You've got a clear charge against him now of aiding and abetting that woman to jump her bail; that's what the legal sharks call it."
"Instead, if it's not too late for the first editions, the inspector is going to see that every morning newspaper carries the word that he's been released for lack of evidence and is back at the Creveling house," McCarty responded. "Yost will be there to see that he don't get out again or send any messages and to trace and report any 'phone calls that may come for him." ”

“ If you will both come to my rooms to-morrow evening at eight o'clock—or rather this evening, for it is nearly dawn—you will learn all the details and unless I am very much mistaken you will hear an interesting confession. ”

“ McCarty interrupted.
"Y-yes, sir!"
"Is there any other public telephone booth in the neighborhood?"
"None any place that keeps open all night." The clerk seemed to be gathering his dazed faculties.
"Do you have many calls from here between midnight and early morning?"
The clerk shook his head.
"Not unless somebody's sick."
"Did anybody come in here and use that 'phone last night?"
"Certainly; a lot of people early in the evening, but after midnight!" He paused and his eyes widened. "No one came in here to 'phone after that until—until half-past four in the morning." ”

“ Special deputy now under Inspector Druet," McCarty explained briefly. "Woman on the fourth floor, rear, under the name of Hildreth is wanted downtown and we almost had her but she got away on the fire-escape. Take Martin and search the yards and the roofs and if you find no trace of her leave him on guard in the flat until he's relieved. Report by telephone to Inspector Druet at Headquarters."
"Right, sir," the policeman replied with immense respect. "What's the Hildreth woman like?" ”

“ Hildreth" to escape, but the inspector did not censure him. Instead he listened thoughtfully until the end and then brought his hand down resoundingly on the desk before him.
"That is about the last link we needed in the chain of evidence, I think!" he declared. "We'll clean this case up in record time now, Mac. Don't worry about the woman; she won't get away from us again now that we know she is in the city, and Yost has 'phoned that Hill is back in the Creveling house. He's camped outside the fellow's door now."
"Did you hear anything from Martin, sir?" ”

“ Hildreth come in. She's always as neat as wax, but this morning she looked as though she had just thrown on her clothes every which way, and she seemed excited, too, about something. She asked in that soft foreign voice of hers if she could use the telephone, and it must have been an out-of-town call this time for she was in the booth nearly twenty minutes and I heard money rattle in the slot two or three times. She thanked me when she came out but didn't try to explain about the call the way her husband had about his." He paused and added: "I tell you one thing I think, sir ”