Part 11 (1/2)
”Good!” Valentin closed the door and led the way to his room. Grace followed, wondering what the man intended to do.
”Why have you come here twice during the past two days?” he asked, abruptly, after he had lit the lamp and carefully shut the door.
Grace determined to be quite frank with him. ”I wanted to ask you some questions, Monsieur Valentin,” she replied.
”Ha! You know my name?”
”Certainly.”
He appeared somewhat uneasy. ”What are you up to?”
”I am trying to find Mr. Stapleton's child.”
A queer smile came over the fellow's face. ”Is that why you stole the cigarettes?” he asked.
”I did not steal them. They were taken by a man with a black beard, who came in through the window when I was here.”
”A black beard?” He smiled incredulously. ”And you let him take them.”
”Yes. Why not? Were they of such great value?”
He glanced about uneasily, but did not reply to her question. ”Who was the man?” he presently asked.
”I do not know. I followed him. He entered Mr. Stapleton's house.”
”Sacre! It must have been Francois!”
”Hardly. Francois has no beard.”
”But he might have been disguised.” He seemed very much perturbed. ”What a pity I was so careless!”
”Monsieur Valentin, will you please tell me what those cigarettes have to do with the kidnapping of Mr. Stapleton's child?”
He looked at her closely for a moment. ”Everything,” he answered gloomily, ”and--nothing. I was a fool to have left them here.”
Grace began to feel more and more composed. This man did not talk like one of the band of criminals. ”Do you know where the child is?” she suddenly asked.
”Perhaps.” He observed her narrowly. ”Do you?”
”No. If I did, I should restore him to his poor mother.”
”What were you doing in that automobile?”
”I was a prisoner. And you?”
Again he evaded her question. ”It is my own affair,” he growled.
”Did you not see who it was that drove the car?” she asked.
Instead of replying, he flung himself into a chair. ”Sit down, Mademoiselle, and tell me the whole story. If I find that you are frank with me, I promise to be equally so with you.”
Suddenly Grace felt an intuition that the man was honest. She determined to do as he asked. ”Very well. I will tell you the truth. I am trying to recover Mr. Stapleton's child. Last night I was watching the house. I was seized from behind, thrown into an automobile, and taken--I do not know where. This morning a message to Mr. Stapleton was given me.