Harry congratulated himself that he had come in for no further questioning about the affair. Since his adventure at Wang Foo’s, it no longer seemed to him of great consequence.
Harry’s passive investigations of the facts in the Laidlow murder were occupying his mornings, for he had been instructed to remain in his hotel room until eleven o’clock every day. The whole business was like a vacation.
He had received a package containing a book of blank checks on a large Manhattan bank. Evidently deposits would be made in his name to cover any expenditures. That alone was a source of real satisfaction.
So, on this morning of the third day, he was comfortable and indolent, idly speculating what the future might bring, when the telephone’s ringing interrupted.
He lifted the receiver to recognize the voice of Fellows.
“Mr. Vincent,” came the words, “I would like to see you this morning -“
The telephone clicked. He had been cut off.
There was no emphasis in the message. Yet its meaning was obvious. Fellows himself had terminated the conversation, knowing that Vincent would realize his presence was desired at the Broadway insurance office.
Donning his hat and coat, Harry left the hotel and headed for the Grandville Building. He knew a sensation of keen interest. Somehow, idleness was becoming an annoyance. The rest after his adventure with the dangerous Chinese had been welcome, but he knew that he could never be content with enforced, continued inactivity.
He was ushered into Fellows’s private office. The chubby, deliberate man behind the desk was discoursing upon everybody’s need for insurance with his stenographer for audience. But when the girl had left the room, the insurance broker quietly changed his topic of conversation.
“You have followed my instructions?” he asked.
“Regarding the newspapers?” questioned Harry.
“Yes.”
“I’ve read about the Laidlow murder.”
“How does it impress you?”
“It is extremely confusing.”
Fellows smiled faintly.
“You would make a good police detective,” he said in his slow voice. “Those fellows are perplexed.”
“That’s a good excuse for me,” said Vincent. “I suppose I have a right to be perplexed, too.”
“I do not ask for excuses,” answered Fellows. “I merely want to know if you have done the work of reading the newspapers.”
“I have.”
“Good. Then you are ready for the next step.”
“What is that?”
“To go to Holmwood.”
“For how long?”
“Until you are recalled.”
Vincent nodded, and awaited further information.
“You will stay at Holmwood Arms,” explained Fellows. “It is not far from the Laidlow home. A room has been reserved for you there. If any one questions your occupation, give the impression that you are an author who has a moderate income from a legacy. Can you use a typewriter?”
“After a fashion.”
“Buy a portable, then. Take it with you. Use it occasionally.”
“Very well.”
“You drive a car, don’t you?”
“When I have one.”
“You will have one. A coupe is out there now. It has been delivered to the Holmwood Arms garage. It is a used car, but in excellent condition. It will give the idea that you have been driving considerably about the country.”
The prospect of his new assignment was pleasing to Harry Vincent.
“I have learned,” resumed Fellows, “that you have a New York driver’s license. That fits in well with the plans. It saves considerable annoyance, such as passing driving tests. Do you have the card with you?”
“Here it is.”
“Fine. You are a good driver?”
“Reasonably good.”
“Then you can use the car for most purposes. Come into the city with it, if you wish.”
“When shall I come into the city?”
“Only when you receive word from me. I may summon you fairly often. In your assumed capacity of a writer, it would be natural for you to come in occasionally. Always carry a briefcase, containing some typewritten sheets.”
Fellows rested his elbows on the arm of his chair locked his hands, and set his chin upon them.
“You have probably guessed the purpose of your trip to Holmwood,” he said. “During your stay there, you will learn whatever you can about the Laidlow murder. Do not act as a detective or an investigator. Simply keep your ears open for anything they may pick up. Try to see or observe any one who may know anything about it. Note any unusual activities on the part of any of those people.
“You may even mention the subject yourself if you see an opportunity of starting discussion. Ask a few questions here and there, but do it casually.
“Do not let the subject worry you. Even if you seem to be drawing blanks, keep on playing the game. Do not forget a single detail that you may discover. Each item is important although seemingly trivial to you. Hold all information in your mind. If you think you have learned something unusual, or if you have accumulated a multitude of details, report directly to me. Otherwise, wait until I call you.”
“How shall I report?” asked Harry.
“Always in person.”
“How will you communicate with me?”
“As I did to-day, if I wish to see you. Perhaps you may hear from some one else - through emphasized words.”
“I understand.”
The insurance broker studied Harry silently. Then he unfolded his hands and leaned back in his chair, indicating that the interview was nearing its end.
“Listen carefully,” he said. “You may receive a letter - perhaps several. They will be written in a simple code - certain letters of the alphabet substituted for others. Here is the code.” He passed a sealed envelope across the desk. “There are very few substitutions, so you can memorize them quickly. Destroy this as soon as you have learned it.”
“Shall I destroy any letters I happen to receive?”
“That will not be necessary,” smiled Fellows. “They will destroy themselves.”
The remark was puzzling to Vincent, but he thought it best to make no comment.
“Be sure the code is familiar to your mind,” advised the insurance broker. “For you must read each note quickly - immediately after taking it from the envelope. Each letter you receive will be numbered at the bottom. The first will be Number One. Keep a record of these. If any number fails to be received - if Number Six, for instance, should arrive before you have received Number Five - notify me immediately. You understand?”
“I do.”
“Any questions?”
“None.”
The round-faced man rose from his chair.
“One last word,” he said. “Conduct yourself wisely. Seek to make acquaintances. Avoid making friends.”
He extended his hand. Harry arose to depart.
Late that afternoon, Harry Vincent stepped aboard a Long Island Railroad local with a one-way ticket to Holmwood in his pocket.
CHAPTER XII
TWO DETECTIVES TALK
WHILE the Holmwood local was still clicking along the rails toward its destination, two men sat in an office at police headquarters. Their day’s routine had ended; now they were engaged in a discussion which both regarded as important.
One of the men bore the mark of a police officer long in the service. He was tall, heavy, and domineering. His gray hair lent him a positive dignity, and his face, although full and a trifle pudgy, carried the physiognomy of the thinker as well as that of the man of action.
The other was shorter, and his dark face bespoke an Italian ancestry. He had certain characteristics of the familiar plain-clothes man, but with it there were a calmness of bearing and an ease of expression which were deceptive. His thin lips formed a straight line that never curved upward nor downward, and his dark-brown eyes had a sparkle that betokened the quick observer.
“It’s a tough case, Cardona,” said the big man, thumping thoughtfully upon the table where he sat.