After breakfasting in the cafe of the hotel he returned to his room, and rang up Monsieur Lefevre.
"I want the a.s.sistance of one of your men, Monsieur," he said.
"Ah!" laughed the Prefect. "You are--what you Americans call--up a tree, is it not?"
"Not at all. You have said that there existed between us a compet.i.tion, to recover Mr. Stapleton"s child. I think I am going to win. But since I am not in a position to make the necessary arrests, myself, I am going to share the glory with you, my dear friend, by allowing one of your men to do so for me."
"So you are confident?"
"Reasonably so. Can you spare Vernet for the day? He is a good man."
"One of my best. You shall have him. And if you succeed, I shall still regard myself the loser, and will buy the champagne, and the dinner at the Cafe Royale, as I agreed."
"And I shall be most happy to do the same should I fail. Oblige me by requesting Vernet to come to my rooms at the hotel at once. Good by."
Duvall hung up the receiver, and sat down with the drawings he had made before him. He awaited the coming of Vernet with impatience.
The latter appeared in some twenty minutes.
"What can I do for you, Monsieur Duvall?" he asked.
"Good morning, Vernet. Sit down, and have a cigar. I have a little matter I wish to talk over with you."
"Concerning the missing child of Monsieur Stapleton, I understand,"
remarked Vernet, as he lit a cigar and drew his chair up to the table.
He glanced at the drawings before him. "What are these, may I ask?"
Duvall took up his pencil. "This, Vernet, is a map of a small part of Paris. Here, as you see, is the Avenue Kleber, terminating at the Champs elysees just in front of the Arc de Triomphe."
"I see. It is quite plain."
"Here--this black square--is Mr. Stapleton"s house. From there to the arch is a matter of some six hundred yards."
"About that, I should say. What of it?"
"Wait. The black-bearded fellow--the kidnapper--who visited Mr.
Stapleton last night, and escaped by the ruse of being arrested by one of his confederates, will arrive at Mr. Stapleton"s house at eight o"clock tonight."
"Mon Dieu! If that is so, we have him!"
"Not so fast. We shall not interfere with him--then."
"But, Monsieur, would you let this fellow escape? It is my duty to arrest him, as soon as he puts in an appearance."
"You are mistaken, Vernet. Your duty is to do as I instruct you.
Monsieur Lefevre has placed you under my orders for the day."
Vernet laughed. "That is so," he said. "What do you wish me to do?"
"The man will come to Mr. Stapleton"s house at eight o"clock, and will be given a large sum of money. He has agreed, if he is not interfered with, to have the address where the boy may be found telephoned to Mr.
Stapleton within half an hour."
"Ah! Then we shall follow, and get him after he has telephoned."
Duvall laughed. "We are dealing with a far shrewder man than that, Vernet. This fellow will do no telephoning."
"Then how will he let Monsieur Stapleton know?"
"That is just what I am trying to find out. Put yourself in his place.
He is known--he dare not remain in Paris--he gets five hundred thousand francs to give up the child. Is it not natural to suppose that he will leave the city at once?"
"Yes. That is what I should do, in his place."
"Of course. Now I understand that the fellow will walk from Mr.
Stapleton"s house to the Arc de Triomphe, a distance of six hundred yards. He can do that easily in ten minutes."
"Yes."
"Once at the arch, he will stand awaiting a fast automobile, which will come along the Champs elysees. This automobile will stop for an instant and pick him up, then proceed at high speed along the Avenue du Bois de Boulogne."
"Why do you think that?"
"Because it will afford him the quickest and safest road out of Paris.
From the arch to the Porte Dauphine is less than a mile. He can make it in five minutes. In fifteen minutes altogether then, he is outside the walls. In another fifteen minutes, he is beyond pursuit, in the country."
"But you forget, Monsieur Duvall, that he has not yet advised his confederates that all is well, and that the address of the place where the boy is hidden is to be telephoned to Mr. Stapleton."
"No, Vernet, I haven"t forgotten that. In fact, I am coming to it now.
Suppose you were in this fellow"s place--how would you do it?"
Vernet scratched his head thoughtfully. "He might fire a pistol from the car."
"Too dangerous. The noise of the explosion would attract attention. He must work silently."
"A wave of the hand, perhaps, to someone along the street."
"Also dangerous. This fellow realizes that every possible step will be taken to capture not only himself, but his confederates. He antic.i.p.ates, no doubt, that the road will be carefully watched. Why take chances, and run the risk of his confederates, at least, being arrested, when there are simpler, easier ways?"
"Such as what?"
"Do you not remember the signal, used on the Versailles road, the blue light?"
"Ah! Exactly. He will signal to some one in a house along the way."
"That would be easier and safer; but you will remember that there are no houses along the way--none, at least, in which a man of this sort could have a confederate hidden. But I should not say none. There is one, perhaps."
"Indeed, Monsieur. And what house is that?"