Part 49 (1/2)
”That's the idea,” Taylor cried cheerfully.
”Provided,” Denby added, ”you let me have a few words with your men.
They've got to understand I'm innocent, and I want to see how they take it. You see, I don't know them as well as you do. They've got to back you up in squaring me with the Harringtons. You've put me in all wrong here, remember.”
”Why sure,” Taylor agreed generously, ”talk your head off to 'em.”
”And you'll leave the girl out of it?”
”I'll do more than that,” Taylor told him with a grin; ”I'll leave her to you.”
Denby heaved a sigh of relief. ”Now we understand one another,” he said.
”Here's your money, Taylor.”
”Much obliged,” Taylor responded. He handed the other the pearls. ”I've no evidence,” he declared in high good humor, ”that you ever had any necklace. Have a cigar, Mr. Denby?”
[Ill.u.s.tration: ”NOW WE UNDERSTAND ONE ANOTHER,” HE SAID. ”HERE'S YOUR MONEY.” _Page 288_.]
”Thanks,” the younger man returned; ”I'll smoke it later it you don't mind. Now call 'em in.”
”Certainly,” Taylor said briskly. ”And say, I'm glad to have met you, Mr. Denby; and next time you're landing in New York and I can be of use, let me know.” He leered. ”I might be of considerable use, understand?”
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Taylor walked briskly across the hall and threw open the door of the room in which his subordinates were guarding their prisoner. ”Duncan,”
he called, ”and Gibbs, come here.”
When they had come in with Ethel Cartwright, he turned to them impressively. ”Boys,” he declared, ”it was all a mistake.”
”What!” cried his men.
”Thank G.o.d!” the girl cried softly.
”Our dope was phoney. We were tipped off wrong by someone, out of mischief or malice--I'll have to look into that--and we're all in wrong.
It was a case of mistaken ident.i.ty, but Mr. Denby's been very nice about it, very nice, indeed. Let the lady go, Jim.”
”I asked Mr. Taylor to send for you,” Denby explained, ”because I thought it was due you, and I didn't want any come-back. I want you all to understand the facts, if you don't mind waiting, Miss Cartwright.”
”Of course I'll wait,” she said brightly. What had happened to change things she could not guess, but she was confident the man she loved had some magic to save them both.
”Listen to him, boys,” Taylor counselled. ”You see, he's a bit anxious to straighten things out, so tell him all you know. Fire ahead, Mr.
Denby.”
Denby addressed himself to James Duncan. ”You got a tip from Harlow that a Steven Denby had bought a necklace at Cartier's?”
”Yes, sir,” Duncan agreed.