"Don"t imply motives to Miss McIntyre"s act until you have verified them, Ferguson," he cautioned. "Go on with your theories."
"One moment," Clymer broke into the conversation. "Did Rochester tell you, Ferguson, that he had recognized Turnbull in his burglar disguise?"
"No, sir; I never had an opportunity to ask him, for he disappeared Tuesday night and has not been seen or heard of since," Ferguson rejoined.
"Hold on," Kent checked him with an impatient gesture. "I had a telegram from Rochester this morning, stating he was in Cleveland."
"I didn"t forget about the telegram," retorted Ferguson. "It was to consult you about that, that I hunted you up to-night. That telegram was bogus."
"What!" Kent half rose from his chair.
"Yes. After the inquest I called Cleveland on the long distance, talked with the City Club officials and with Police Headquarters; all declared that Rochester was not there, and no trace could be found of his having ever arrived in the city."
Clymer laid down his half smoked cigar and stared at the detective.
"You think then that Rochester has bolted?" he asked.
"It looks that way," insisted Ferguson. "How about it, Mr. Kent?" The question was put with a touch of arrogance.
Kent did not reply immediately. Every fact that Ferguson had brought out fitted the situation, and Rochester"s disappearance added color to the detective"s charges. Why was he hiding unless from guilty motives, and where had he gone? Kent shook a bewildered head.
"It is plausible," he conceded, "but, after all, only circ.u.mstantial evidence."
"Well, circ.u.mstantial evidence is good enough for me to work on,"
retorted Ferguson. "On discovering that the telegram from Cleveland was a hoax, I concluded Ferguson might be lurking around Washington and so sent a description of him to the different precincts and secured a search warrant."
"You did?"
"Yes. Armed with it I visited Mr. Rochester"s apartment, but couldn"t find a clew to his present whereabouts," admitted Ferguson. "So then I went to your office, Mr. Kent, and ransacked the firm"s safe."
"Confound you!" Kent leaned forward in his wrath and shook his fist at the detective. "What right had you to do such a thing?"
"The search warrant covered it," explained Ferguson. "I could look through your safe, Mr. Kent, because Rochester was your senior partner and you shared the office together; I was within the law."
"Perhaps you were," Kent controlled his anger with an effort. "But I had told you I did not know Rochester"s whereabouts before I showed you the Cleveland telegram, which you claim is bogus."
"It"s bogus, all right," insisted the detective. "I thought it just possible I might find some paper which would give me a clew to Rochester"s hiding place, so I went through the safe."
"How did you get it open?" asked Kent.
"I found it open."
Kent leapt to his feet. "You--found--it open!"--he stammered. "Why, man, I locked that safe securely just before I left the office at six o"clock."
"Sure?"
"Absolutely certain."
"Were you alone?"
"Yes, all alone. Sylvester left at five o"clock"
"Who knew the combination of the safe?"
"Only Rochester and I."
It was Ferguson"s turn to spring up "By--!" he exclaimed. "I thought the electric bulbs in the office felt warm, as if they had recently been burning--Rochester must have been there just before me."
"It would seem that Rochester is still in the city," remarked Clymer.
"Do you know, Kent, whether he had his office keys with him?"
"I presume so," Kent slipped his hand inside his pocket and took out a bunch of keys. "He left these duplicates in his desk at the office."
"Sure they are duplicates?" questioned Ferguson, and Kent flushed.
"I know they are," he retorted. "Rochester had them made over a year ago as a matter of convenience, for he was always forgetting his keys, and kept these at our office."
"He"s a queer cuss," was the detective"s only comment and Clymer broke into the conversation.
"Did you find any address or paper in the safe which might prove a clew, Ferguson?" he inquired.
"Nothing, not even a sc.r.a.p of paper," and the detective"s tone was glum.
"Did the safe look as if its contents had been tumbled about?" asked Kent.
"No, everything seemed in order." Ferguson thrust his hand inside his coat pocket. "There was one envelope in the right hand compartment which puzzled me--"
"Hold on--was that compartment also unlocked?" asked Kent.
"It was," not giving Kent time to speak again Ferguson continued his remarks. "As this was unaddressed I brought it to you, Mr. Kent, to ask if it was your personal property"--he drew out the white envelope which Helen McIntyre had brought Kent that morning and turned it over so that both men could see the large red seal bearing the letter "B."
"It is my property," a.s.serted Kent instantly.
"Would you mind opening it?" asked Ferguson.
"I would, most certainly; it relates to my personal affairs."
Ferguson looked a trifle non-plussed. "Would you mind telling me its contents, Mr. Kent?" he asked persuasively.
Kent regarded the detective squarely. He could not betray Helen, the envelope might contain harmless nonsense, but she had placed it in his safe-keeping--no, confound it, she had left it in the safe for Rochester--and Rochester was apparently a fugitive from justice, while circ.u.mstantial evidence pointed to his having poisoned Helen"s lover, Jimmie...
"If you must know, Ferguson," Kent spoke with deliberation. "They are old love letters of mine."
Clymer glanced down at the envelope which the detective still held, the red seal making a distinct blotch of color on the white, glazed surface.
"Ah, Kent," he said in amus.e.m.e.nt. "So rumor is right in predicting your engagement to Barbara McIntyre. Good luck to you!"
Through the open doorway to the dining room where the dancing had ceased for the moment, came a soft laugh and Mrs. Brewster looked in at them.