He did not
want to answer it, but if it kept on ringing someone outside might
come in.
An instant he hesitated. Then, disguising his voice as much as he
could to imitate mine, he took off the receiver.
"Hello!" he answered.
His face was a study in all that was dark as he realized that it
was Elaine calling. He clenched his crooked hand even more
viciously.
"Have you read them?" he asked, curbing his impatience as she
unsuspectingly poured forth her story, supposedly to me.
"Then don't unseal them," he hastened to reply. "Put them back.
Then there can be no question about them. You can open them before
witnesses."
For a moment he paused, then added, "Put them back and tell no one
of their discovery. I will tell Mr. Kennedy the moment I can get
him."
A smile spread over his sinister face as Elaine confided in him
her intention to go shopping.
"A rather expensive expedition for you, young lady," he muttered
to himself as he returned the receiver to the hook.
Clutching Hand lost no further time at the laboratory. He had
thus, luckily for him, found out what he wanted. The papers were
not there after all, but at the Dodge house.
Suppose she should really be gone on only a short shopping trip
and should return to find that she had been fooled over the wire?
Quickly, he went to the telephone again.
Pages:
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167