Directly in front of me was a sign, tacked up on a pillar, which
read, "This store will be closed at noon today. Martin & Co."
All the customers were gone. In fact the clerks had had some
trouble in clearing the shop, as many of them expressed not only
surprise but exasperation at the proceeding. Nevertheless the
clerks had politely but insistently ushered them out.
Martin himself was evidently very nervous and very much alarmed.
Indeed no one could blame him for that. Merely to have been
singled out by this amazing master criminal was enough to cause
panic. Already he had engaged detectives, prepared for whatever
might happen, and they had advised him to leave the diamonds in
the counter, clear the store, and let the crooks try anything, if
they dared.
I fancied that he was somewhat exasperated at his daughter's
presence, too, but could see that her explanation of Elaine's and
Perry Bennett's interest in the Clutching Hand had considerably
mollified him. He had been talking with Bennett as we came in and
evidently had a high respect for the young lawyer.
Just back of us, and around the corner, as we came in, we had
noticed a limousine which had driven up. Three faultlessly attired
dandies had entered a doorway down the street, as we learned
afterwards, apparently going to a fashionable tailor's which
occupied the second floor of the old-fashioned building, the first
floor having been renovated and made ready for renting.
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