It was an
unwonted concession to the occasion.
"Then I think we get at it by elimination. The chances are
against flight. If he was hurt, we find no trace of him. It
looks almost like an abduction. This young Doctor Walker--have
you any idea why Mr. Innes should have gone there last night?"
"I can not understand it," Gertrude said thoughtfully. "I don't
think he knew Doctor Walker at all, and--their relations could
hardly have been cordial, under the circumstances."
Jamieson pricked up his ears, and little by little he drew from
us the unfortunate story of Halsey's love affair, and the fact
that Louise was going to marry Doctor Walker.
Mr. Jamieson listened attentively.
"There are some interesting developments here," he said
thoughtfully. "The woman who claims to be the mother of Lucien
Wallace has not come back. Your nephew has apparently been
spirited away. There is an organized attempt being made to enter
this house; in fact, it has been entered. Witness the incident
with the cook yesterday. And I have a new piece of information."
He looked carefully away from Gertrude. "Mr. John Bailey is not
at his Knickerbocker apartments, and I don't know where he is.
It's a hash, that's what it is. It's a Chinese puzzle. They
won't fit together, unless--unless Mr. Bailey and your nephew
have again--"
And once again Gertrude surprised me. "They are not together,"
she said hotly. "I--know where Mr. Bailey is, and my brother is
not with him.
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