Jacques Futrelle

“ But the expert criminal, the man of genius—the professional, I may say—regards as perfect only that crime which does not and cannot be made to appear a crime at all; therefore one that can never under any circumstances involve him, or anyone else. ”

“ For years I have been able to preserve this secrecy; but half a dozen times in the last eight weeks my plans have become known, and I have been caught. Unless you know the Street, you can't imagine what a tremendous disadvantage it is to have someone know your next move to the minutest detail and, knowing it, defeat you at every turn."
"No, I don't know your world of finance, Mr. Grayson," remarked The Thinking Machine. "Give me an instance."
"Well, take this last case," said the financier earnestly. ”

“ Do the same men, the same clique, appear against you all the time, or is it only one man?"
"It's a clique," explained the financier, "with millions back of it, headed by Ralph Matthews, a young man to whom I give credit for being the prime factor against me." His lips were set sternly.
"Why?" demanded the scientist.
"Because every time he sees me he grins," was the reply. Grayson seemed suddenly discomfited.
The Thinking Machine went to a desk, addressed an envelope, folded a sheet of paper, placed it inside, then sealed it. ”

“ She has been in my employ for six years in the same capacity—more than five years before this leak appeared. I trust her absolutely."
"No man knows your business?"
"No," replied the financier grimly. "I learned years ago that no one could keep my secrets as well as I do—there are too many temptations. Therefore, I never mention my plans to anyone—never—to anyone!"
"Except your stenographer," corrected the scientist.
"I work for days, weeks, sometimes months, perfecting plans, and it's all in my head, not on paper—not a scratch of it," explained Grayson. ”

“ So it came about that Grayson did not go to his office on the following morning at the usual time. Instead, he called again upon The Thinking Machine in eager, expectant response to a note which had reached him at his home just before he started to his office.
"Nothing yet," said The Thinking Machine as the financier entered. "But here is something you must do today. At one o'clock," the scientist went on, "you must issue orders for a gigantic deal of some sort; and you must issue them precisely as you have issued them in the past; there must be no variation. ”

“ A few moments later he was talking to Hutchinson Hatch, reporter.
"I merely wanted to ask you to meet me at my apartment in an hour," said the scientist. "It is very important."
That was all. He hung up the receiver, paused for a moment to admire an exquisitely wrought silver box—a "vanity" box—on Miss Winthrop's desk, beside the telephone, then took a seat beside Grayson and began to discourse almost pleasantly upon the prevailing meteorological conditions. Grayson merely stared; Miss Winthrop continued her reading. ”

“ The girl rose from her desk, and a flash of some subtle emotion passed over her face. "What do you mean, sir?" she demanded.
"You might as well remove the silver box," The Thinking Machine went on mercilessly. "There is no further need of the connection."
Miss Winthrop glanced down at the telephone extension on her desk, and her hand darted toward it. The silver "vanity" box was directly under the receiver, supporting it, so that all weight was removed from the hook, and the line was open. She snatched the box and the receiver dropped back on the hook. The Thinking Machine turned to Grayson. ”

“ Dictate the letters as you have always done to Miss Winthrop—but don't send them! When they come to you, keep them until you see me."
"You mean that the deal must be purely imaginative?" inquired the financier.
"Precisely," was the reply. "But make your instructions circumstantial; give them enough detail to make them absolutely logical and convincing."
Grayson asked a dozen questions, answers to which were curtly denied, then went to his office. The Thinking Machine again called Hatch on the telephone.
"I've got it," he announced briefly. "I want the best telegraph operator you know. ”

“ In other words, in writing on the typewriter, she was clever enough to be able to give the click of the machine the patterns in the Morse telegraphic code—so that another telegraph operator at the other end of the 'phone could hear her machine and translate the clicks into words."
Grayson sat staring at him incredulously. "I still don't understand," he said finally. ”

“ Grayson hurried on, "but it has cost me millions, and——"
For one instant The Thinking Machine lowered his squint eyes to those of his visitor, then raised them again. "Millions!" he repeated. "How many?"
"Six, eight, perhaps ten," was the reply. "Briefly, there is a leak in my office. My plans become known to others almost by the time I have perfected them. My plans are large; I have millions at stake; and the greatest secrecy is absolutely essential. ”

“ Briefly, without technicalities, I had planned to unload the securities of the P., Q. & X. Railway, protecting myself through brokers, and force the outstanding stock down to a price where other brokers, acting for me, could buy far below the actual value. ”